,  ^^.,.  Or  WiTpr,  ^ 


JAN  30  1.911 


A 


^0£i^uZxt:<^ 


BL  82  .M37  1910 
Marshall,  Edward  A,  b 
Christianity  and  non- 
Christian  religions 


1866 


JAN  301911 


A.    ^r-* 


CHKI8TIANITY 


AND 


NON-CHRISTIAN 
RELIGIONS 

COMPAEED 


CONTAINING  800  LIBRARY  REFERENCES 
TO  FACILITATE  FURTHER  STUDY 


BY  EDWAED  A.  MARSHALL 

INSTRUCTOR  IN  MISSIONS 
THE  MOODY  BIBLE  INSTITUTE  OF  CHICAGO 


CHICAGO 
THE  BIBLE  INSTITUTE  COLPORTAGE  ASSOCIATION 

826  LA  SALLE  AVENUE 


COPYRIGHT,    1910,   BY   EDWARD   A.   MARSHALL. 
Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall. 


PREFACE 

In  this  present  age  of  seeming  uncertainty  in  spiritual  verities, 
and  of  exalting  the  heathen  religions  to  the  position  of  equality 
with  Christianity,  it  becomes  necessary  that  we  examine  their  actual 
teachings  and  compare  them  with  those  of  the  Bible.  This  is  made 
doubly  necessary  since  the  priests  and  pundits  of  some  of  the  non- 
Christian  religions  have  begun  to  visit  England  and  America  to 
promulgate  their  Oriental  philosophy  and  metaphysics.  Their 
listeners,  not  having  a  knowledge  of  the  actual  character  of  these 
systems,  or  of  the  saving  grace  of  God  in  Christ,  are  sometimes 
caught  by  their  subtle  sophistry,  and  led,  step  by  step,  into  very 
absurd  beliefs.  One  of  the  most  striking  examples  of  this  is  seen 
in  the  transplanting  of  Hinduism  into  Christian  lands,  under  the 
non  de  plume  of  Christian  Science. 

The  strongest  and  most  satisfactory  way  of  learning  the  rela- 
tive value  of  the  teachings  of  these  various  religious  systems  is 
to  study  them  comparatively.  This  is  an  exceedingly  difficult 
task,  as  it  requires  a  large  amount  of  time  and  patience  to  search 
through  scores  of  volumes  containing  much  that  is  tiresome  and 
uninteresting.  Then,  too,  it  would  doubtless  be  unwise  for  the 
average  person  to  spend  the  money  necessary  to  purchase  the  re- 
quired number  of  books  to  get  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  these 
world  religions. 

This  volume  endeavors  to  gather  into  brief  paragraphs  the  teach- 
ings of  the  leading  non-Christian  religions,  under  about  sixty 
fundamental  topics.  This  enables  the  reader  to  secure  within  a  few 
moments  a  general  idea  of  what  the  people  of  the  world  believe 
on  the  most  important  moral  and  spiritual  subjects  connected  with 
human  life.  A  glance  at  the  page  of  "Instructions"  will  assist 
the  reader  in  getting  the  most  help  from  the  book. 

An  effort  has  been  made  to  give  due  credit  to  books  from  which 
quotations  have  been  made.  In  the  very  wide  research  necessary 
through  a  large  number  of  volumes,  this  may  sometimes  have  been 
overlooked,  for  which  the  author  offers  due  apology. 

3 


INSTRUCTIONS 


The  study  of  this  book  may  be  pursued  in  two  ways: 

First,  by  SUBJECTS,  such  as  the  "Belief  Concerning  Man"  on 
page  16.  You  can  get  a  glimpse  of  the  teachings  of  all  the  religious 
on  this  subject. 

Secondly,  by  RELIGIOUS  SYSTEMS,  such  as  "Shintoism"  in 
Japan.  Start  at  the  beginning  and  turn  each  page  to  the  close, 
reading  only  the  items  on  "Shintoism."  This  gives  a  bird's  eye  view 
of  that  system. 

The  library  reference  plan  will  be  helpful,  if  you  desire  to  study 
the  subject  further.  On  page  78  a  list  of  books  is  given,  designated 
by  use  of  the  capital  and  small  letters  of  the  alphabet.  These 
letters  are  followed  by  the  nimiber  of  the  page  where  the  specific 
subject  may  be  found.  Thus,  the  reference  under  "Priesthood" 
(page  32)  in  tlie  religion  of  Confucius  is  "D— 62."  "D"  is  the 
number  of  the  book  entitled  "Religions  of  the  World,"  by  G.  M.  Grant. 
By  turning  to  page  62  of  that  book,  you  will  find  his  statement  as 
follows : 

"First,  that,  so  far  as  the  worship  of  heaven  is  concerned,  it 
should  be  performed  by  the  emperor  alone,  both  for  himself  and  as 
the  representative  of  the  people." 

In  this  way,  much  valuable  information  can  be  quickly  gathered. 
As  space  is  limited,  only  one  page  number  is  usually  given,  and  it 
will  be  best  to  look  at  the  pages  both  before  and  after,  as  they  may 
contain  more  valuable  material. 


FOUNDER— DATE— PLACE. 

JESUS  was  born  in  BethleTiem,  in  the  year  5  B.  C,  in  fulfillment 
of  prophecy.  Over  one  hundred  prophetic  utterances  in  the  Old  Test- 
ament concerning  Christ  are  given  in  the  New  Testament  as  fulfilled. 

I  trust  you  will  faithfully  study  this  description  of  the  condition  of 
the  heathen,  but  let  your  interest  not  stop  there. 

BRAHMANISM  was  founded  by  a  priestly  caste  called  Brahmans, 
during  the  earliest  days  of  the  Aryan  race  in  India.  No  one  man 
seems  to  have  originated  the  entire  system. — D-101.     E-35.     F-293. 

Suppose  yon  heard  that  Chicago  was  a  heathen  city,  would  it  shock 
you?     Pekin  is  about  the  same  size  and  it  is  heathen.     Do  you  care? 

HINDUISM.  The  founders  of  Hinduism  were  from  among  the 
philosophers,  poets,  sages  and  priests  of  tlie  Hindus.  No  one  person 
originated  it.     The  date  of  its  beginning  is  unknown. — D-95. 

Do  you  hesitate  to  become  a  missionary  because  the  people  are  de- 
graded?    Remember,  your  forefathers  were  savages  in  Europe. 

BUDDHISM.  Gautama,  a  young  Indian  prince  of  northern 
India,  was  born  552  B.  C.  In  after  years  he  assumed  the  name  of 
Buddha,  which  means  "enlightened."  *  He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty 
from  eating  too  much  pork  given  to  him  by  some  of  his  disciples. — 
r-67.     B-vol.  1-148.     D-125,  130.     E-39.     F-113.     G-354-3G0.     J-88. 

TAOISM.  Lao-tsze,  the  founder,  was  born  about  604  B.  C,  in 
Honan  Province,  China.  His  name  signifies  "old  boy,"  and  Taoists 
declare  he  was  "eighty  years  old  when  born."  He  became  highly  edu- 
cated, and  was  royal  librarian. — j-59.  k-57.  1-184.  m-C71.  B-voL 
1-53.     F-724. 

CONFUCIUS  was  born  551  B.  C,  in  the  Shantung  province,  in 
China.  His  ancestors  were  eminent  statesmen.  His  father  died  when 
Confucius  was  three  years  old. — j-44.  k-GO.  m-178.  B-vol.  1-44. 
D-52.    F-188-9. 

The  birth  of  ZOROASTER  is  shrouded  in  so  many  legends  that  its 
date  and  place  are  very  uncertain.  His  home  was  in  Afghanistan. 
The  date  may  be  B.  C.  GOO.— B-vol.  1-180.    F-574. 

Neither  you  nor  the  heathen  know  how  great  their  need  is.  Only  God 
knows,   and  He  said :   "Go  ye." 

THE  PARSEES  are  the  modern  followers  of  Zoroaster  which 
were  driven  from  the  Province  of  Pars,  Persia,  by  INIohammedan  per- 
secution. They  came  to  India  in  698  A.  D.,  from  which  period  they 
reckon  time. — H-109. 

Every  word  you  speak  now  to  excuse  yourself  for  your  lack  of  interest 
in  missions  will   be  a   load  ou  your  heart  when  Jesus  comes. 

SHINTO  was  the  first  religion  of  the  Japanese.  The  name,  place 
and  date  of  the  founder  is  unknown.  The  belief  antedates  its  name, 
which  was  given  to  it  after  Buddhism  entered  Japan. 

How  can  you  reconcile  these  two  admissions :  "I  am  a  Christian," 
and  "I  am  not  interested  in  missions." 

MOHAMMED  was  born  in  :Mecca  about  571  and  died  632  A.  D. 
He  was  left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age;  uuirried-  a  wealthy  widow; 
lived  a  trustworthv  life  and  became  a  prophet  at  forty. — r-80.  u-179. 
B-vol.  1-454.     D-13.     F-48S.     G-222.     J-243.     L-20. 

Have  you  ever  helped  to  make  the  life  of  even  one  missionary  happy? 

5 


FOUNDER'S  REASON  FOR  ITS  INAUGURATION. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "For  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  His 
only  be<,^otton  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not  per- 
ish, but  have  everlasting  life."— John  3:16.  That  we  might  be  "an 
habitation  of  God  through  the  Spirit." — Eph.  2:22. 

BRAHMANISM  is  a  vast  world  of  ideas,  each  being  the  expres- 
sion of  a  hungry  human  heart  in  longing  for  the  personal  realization 
of  its  ideal.— D-101.     H-87-88. 

"More  than  half  the  people  of  the  world  have  not  yet  heard  the 
Gospel  story." 

HINDUISM.  Monier  Williams  says:  "Hinduism  is  the  natural 
religion  of  humanity,  or  the  collective  outcome  of  man's  devotional 
instincts  unguided  by  direct  revelation." 

If  you  could  preach  the  precious  Gospel  to  an  audience  of  500  Hindus 
every  hour  of  the  day,  it  would  talie  70  years  for  all  to  hear. 

BUDDHISM.  Gautama  was  distressed  over  the  mystery  of  suf- 
fering and  death.  He  left  his  wife  and  child  and  became  an  ascetic 
pilgrim  in  order  to  discover,  if  possible,  some  solution  to  the  mys- 
tery.—B-vol.  11-117.    D-125,  134-135.    E-41-45.     F-113. 

TAOISM.  :Moral  life  in  China  was  in  a  very  low  state.  The  con- 
dition alarmed  Lao-tsze,  who  sought  by  his  teachings  to  reform  the 
government  and  society.  He  retired  from  public  life  to  seek  virtue. 
— j-59.     F-724. 

The  Question  is  not,  Has  the  missionary  society  accepted  you?  but 
Has    God   accepted   you? 

CONFUCIANISM.  Fanaticism,  gross  superstition  and  shocking 
immorality  were  wrecking  China.  Confucius  endeavored  by  moral 
teachings  to  purify  and  regulate  the  family,  society  and  the'goveni- 
ment.— j-45.    K-63.    D-60.     F-188. 

China  has  eighteen  provinces  and  every  one  of  them  has  need  of  you 
at  once. 

ZOROASTER  opposed  pantheism  and  stood  for  morality  and  hu- 
man freedom.  His  teachings  were  a  protest  against  the  wickedness 
of  his  day  and  an  appeal  for  right  living. — B-vol.  1-184;   vol.  11-91. 

PARSEEISM  is  the  modern  form  of  ancient  Zoroastrianism,  so 
their  motive  is  the  preservation  of  that  belief. 

Only  those  now  living  can  be  held  responsible  for  the  salvation  of  this 
generation.  Our  forefathers  are  gone  and  the  children  are  yet  too  young. 
Will  you  do  your  duty? 

SHINTOISM.  The  character  of  Shinto  seems  to  indicate  that  it 
was  formed  largely  from  hero  worship.  Tiie  emperor  was  considered 
a  descendant  of  tiie  gods  and  was  worshiped. — A-40. 

"Expect  groat  things  from  God;  attempt  great  things  for  God."— Wm. 
Carey. 

MOHAMMED  was  bitterly  opposed  to  the  powerless  polytheistic 
idolatry  of  tiie  Arabians.  When  forty  years  of  age,  he  believed  he 
had  a  divine  commission  from  Gabriel  'making  him  a  prophet.— F-488. 
G-223-225. 

If  Jesus  should  come  today,  could  you  look  Him  in  the  face  when  you 
nave  tried  so  little  to  send  the  story  of  His  love  into  all  the  world? 


HISTORY. 

CHRISTIANITY  began  in  Jerusalem,  Palestine.  Later,  it  changed 
its  center  of  operation  to  Antioch,  then  to  Alexandria,  then  to  Rome 
and  also  Constantinople.  It  gradually  spread  throughout  Europe  and 
ere  long  will  reach  the  whole  world. 

BRAHMANISM  grew^  out  of  Aryan  Vedism  and  dominated  all 
classes  in  India.  When  Buddhism  tlireatened  to  supplant  it,  the 
Brahmans  tactfully  absorbed  it  and  the  result  of  the  union  is  the 
Hinduism  of  the  present. — B-vol.  1-86-89. 

HINDUISM  is  the  third  stage  of  Vedism.  About  500  B.  C,  the 
people  became  restless  under  Brahmanism  and  tried  to  shake  off  the 
caste  yoke.  Buddhism  came  500  B.  C.  as  a  protest  to  Brahmanism, 
but  its  resistance  and  practice  of  compromise  left  Hinduism  a  con- 
queror on  the  field. — n-2.    J-56. 

BUDDHISM  came  from  a  man  dissatisfied  with  the  surrounding 
religious  teachings  of  his  day.  It  has  spread  throughout  all  Asia 
and  has  the  largest  following  of  any  religion  of  the  present  day,  if 
the  Chinese  are  reckoned  as  Buddhists.— g-330.  j-67.  k-67.  m-123. 
r-67.     t-59.     D-130-141.     F-113,  117.     H-44-49. 

TAOISM  has  degenerated  from  the  beginning.  Emperor  Wu  (B. 
C.  100)  sent  1,000  youths  and  1,000  maidens  to  search  for  the  "island 
of  immortals."  Buddhism  came  to  China  as  a  rival  in  A.  D.  65. 
Taoism  is  now  only  demon  worship. — 1-185,  m-671. 

How  many  resolutions  to  do  something  to  help  the  heathen  have  you 
drowned  in  your  cup  of  pleasure? 

CONFUCIUS  lived  in  a  degenerate  age.  His  protests  against  the 
surrounding  iniquity  began  to  take  hold  and  gain  sympathizers  and 
gradually  cemented  the  family  and  national  life.  About  200  B.  C,  all 
literary  books  were  burned,  but  those  of  Confucius  were  rewritten— 
k-6.     D-63.     F-188. 

ZOROASTER  is  believed  to  have  been  a  dissenter  from  the  old 
Aryan  religion.  In  time  his  teachings  were  the  state  religion  and 
must  have  been  well  know^n  to  the  exiled  Jews  in  Babylon. 

PARSEEISM  is  Zoroastrianism  exiled  from  its  Persian  home. 
Driven  out  about  720  A.  D.  the  Parsees  landed  in  India,  only  to  be 
persecuted  afresh  until  they  made  certain  concessions  to  Hinduism. — 
n-53,  r-53.    H-112,  125. 

SHINTOISM  means  "the  way  of  the  gods."  Originally  it  consisted 
of  ancestral  and  nature  worship.  The  position  of  ancestors  has 
arisen,  until  they  are  now  placed  among  the  gods.  It  was  overthrown 
by  Buddhism,  but  regained  its  place  as  state  religion  in  1808.  It  has 
since  been  disestablished  and  is  now  only  a  cult  advocating  patriot- 
ism.—a-40.     b-105.     c-414.     f-123.     J-30,  41. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  began  in  the  seventh  century  A.  D.  An 
early  conquest  was  made  of  Abyssinia.  Arabia,  Palestine,  came  un- 
der its  sway.  Northern  Egypt  was  finally  mastered  and  the  army 
almost  reached  Rome  before  being  checked.— k-79.  n-48.  B-vol. 
1-454-472.     D-13-32.     F-486-495.     H-53-77. 

7 


NUMBER  OF  FOLLOWERS. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  portion  of  the  world  which  uses  the  Bible  as 
its  source  of  divine  revelation  is  estimated  as  follows:  Protestant, 
166,063,500;  Roman  Catholic,  272,638,500;  Eastern  Churches  (Greek, 
Coptic,  Armenian),  120,157,000. 

It  is  easier  to  use  Bible  language  than  to  obey  Bible  commands. 

Since  BRAHMANISM  has  merged  into  Hinduism  through  its 
conflict  with  Buddhism,  its  worshipers  are  classified  with  Hindus, 
except  as  they  are  enumerated  by  castes,  when  the  Brahmans  are 
counted  by  themselves. 

God  has  a  path  of  joyous  service  for  you  ;  If  you  neglect  to  walk  in 
it,   you   need  not  be   surprised  if  you  fall  and  suffer  injury. 

THE  HINDUS  are  estimated  at  209,659,000,  scattered  as  follows: 
Africa,  277,000;  North  America,  94,000;  South  America,  108,000;  Asia, 
209,152,000;  Australasia,  1,000,  and  Malaysia,  27,000. 

If  your  tongue  is  tied  concerning  lost  souls,  it  can  never  be  very 
loose    in    prayer   for    your    own    needs. 

BUDDHISTS  number  137,935,000  (1-195).  Africa  has  11,000; 
North  America,  5,000;  Asia,  137,900,000;  Australasia,  4,0(K);  Oceanica, 
15,000.— B- vol.  1-146.     1-95. 

The  path  of  the  just,  for  you,  may  lead  to  Africa. 

TAOISM  is  so  mixed  with  the  other  religions  of  Cluna,  that  it  is 
impossible  to  secure  any  statistics  as  to  their  number. 

"We  are  playing  at  missions."— Alexander  Duff. 

CONFUCIANISM  holds  sway  among  the  Chinese.  It  is  quite  im- 
possible to  separate  the  Confucianists  from  Buddhists  and  Taoists. 
There  are  about  1.500  temples  dedicated  to  Confucius,  and  "The  Blue 
Book  of  Missions"  estimates  the  Confucianists  and  Taoists  at  291,- 
816,000. 

The  millions  of  oppressed  widows  in  India  lose  something  every 
time  you   drown   the   call   of  your   conscience   to  help   them. 

ZOROASTRIANISM  was  once  the  state  religion  of  Persia.  It  had 
a  strong  following  in  its  palmy  days  before  Mohammedanism  drove 
it  from  the  land. 

If  Jesus  had  not  desired  the  heathen  to  be  saved,  He  would  not 
have  come.      If   you   do   not,   you   will   not   go. 

PARSEEISM  has  about  100,000  adherents.  Ninety-two  thousand 
are  in  India,  mostly  in  Bombay,  and  the  remainder  are  still  in  Per- 
sia and  are  called  Cuebres.  No  effort  is  made  to  increase  their  num- 
bers by  missionary  efforts. — 1-56.     H-132. 

You  know  the  depressing  power  of  one  gloomy  hour.  What  if  you 
had  a  life  time  of  it  as  millions  of  Hindus  haveV 

SHINTOISM  is  another  religious  system  which  has  no  definite 
membership  enrollment.  "The  Blue  Book  of  Missions"  estimates  the 
number  as  24,900,000.    It  has  58,070  shrines.— J -29. 

Thore  is  not  monoy  enough  in  all  the  world  to  save  a  soul,  yet 
you  luive  often  ft-ad  a  Utile  story  which  has  saved  millions— have 
you    ever    really    told    it    to   one    who    has    accepted    it    and    been    saved? 

MOHAMMEDANISM  has  about  200.000,000  followers.  In  Turkey, 
18,000.000;  Russia,  14,000,000;  India,  62.000,000;  China,  33,- 
000,000;  Persia,  9,000,000;  Africa,  50,000,000.— 1-60.    F-494.    L-44. 

8 


SECTS. 

CHRISTIAN  denominations  are  divided  along  lines  of  doctrine, 
church  worsliip  and  church  government.  The  more  Christians  are 
filled  with  tlie  Holy  Spirit,  the  less  difference  and  friction  there  will 
be  over  these  distinctions.  All  evangelical  bodies  are  united  on  the 
means  of  salvation  and  other  fundamentals. — 1  Cor.  1. 

THE  BRAHMANS  are  divided  into  one  hundred  and  fifty  castes 
or  sects.  These  Brahmans  claim  to  have  sprung  from  the  mouth  of 
Brahm,  the  creator.  They  are  the  proud  vampires  which  make  life 
a  burden  in  India.— q-222.  r-101,  111.  s-139-143.  B-vol.  11-52-3.  E- 
22-25,  96. 

HINDUISM.    1.  Worshipers  of  Siva.    2.  Of  Vishnu.    3.  Of  female 

deities,  such  as  the  wives  of  Siva,  etc.  4.  Of  Ganesa,  the  elephant- 
headed  god  of  good  luck  and  fortune.  5.  Sun  worshipers.  There  are 
about  20,000  Hindu  caste  divisions.— q-275.  r-42-46,  52.  C-105. 
E-148,  150,  205-232.     F-298. 

BUDDHISM  is  much  divided.  In  Japan  alone,  it  has  "nine  prin- 
cipal sects  and  forty-two  sub-sects."  Tlie  Buddhism  of  Tibet  diflFers 
greatly  and  is  called  "Lamaism."  That  found  in  Siam  is  still  an- 
other variety.— a-44-45.     b-123.     m-121.     r-76.     F-117.     J-123,  148. 

TAOISM  has  fallen  from  the  teachings  of  its  founder  into  the  ex- 
orcism of  demons.  In  the  execution  of  Taoist  authority,  Satan's  fol- 
lowers are  certainly  divided  against  themselves  for  they  are  split  up 
into  many  opposing  clans. 

"The  world  has  yet  to  see  a  Christian  wholly  given  up  to  God."— 
Henry  Varley. 

CONFUCIANISM.  "All  Chinese  are  Confucianists,  as  all  English 
are  Saxons."  Confucianism  is  the  basis  of  all  religious  life  in  China 
and  is  mixed  with  the  beliefs  of  every  sect  and  every  religion.  To 
eliminate  Confucianism  from  China  is  to  reconstruct  the  empire. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  It  is  difficult  to  learn  the  early  conditions 
of  this  religion.  It  held  great  sway  in  Persia  for  many  years.  The 
first  blow  ^\  as  from  Alexander  the  Great,  B.  C.  333.  The  final  over- 
throw was  by  the  Mohammedans  in  641  A.  D.,  who  have  persecuted 
them  ever  since. 

THE  PARSEES  number  so  few  that  there  is  not  much  encourage- 
ment for  dissatisfied  persons  to  attempt  to  organize  a  new  sect,  as 
they  would  get  no  following.  Parsees  are  strongly  attached  to  each 
other,  which   is   another  unifying   feature, — H-118. 

SHINTOISM  is  breaking  down.  Since  its  disestablishment,  it  is 
becoming  unpopuhir.  Numerous  sects  and  reform  movements  have 
spnuig  up,  some  of  M'hich  have  borrowed  elements  from  Christianity 
to  assist  in  maintaining  their  hold  on  the  people.— b- 11 7.    J-42. 

MOHAMMED  prophesied  that  his  followers  wouldbe  divided  into 
seventy-throe  sects,  but  there  are  today  over  150  sects.  The  two 
main  divisions  are,  the  Sunnites  and  Slii'ites,  and  bitter  is  the  strife 
between  them.— s-117.     u-193.     F-495.     J -237.     L-30,  43. 

9 


COUNTRIES  IN  WHICH  OBSERVED. 

CHRISTIANITY.  The  Gospel  has  reached  every  land  to  some  de- 
gree. Christ's  command:  "Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the 
gospel  to  every  creature,"  is  being  obeyed  as  never  before. 

Have  yon  ever  aspired  to  win  a  prize?  There  are  thousands  of  them 
in  mission  fields  you  can  win  for  Christ. 

BRAHMANISM  originated  in  India,  and  not  being  a  missionary 
religion  has  been  confined  largely  to  its  native  country.  Missionary 
work  is  useless,  seeing  Brahmanhood  is  only  hereditary. 

If  a  hundred  members  of  a  church  would  each  give  a  postage  stamp 
a  day,  they  could  support  one  of  their  number  as  a  missionary. 

HINDUISM  is  found  in  India,  Burma  and  East  Africa.  A  Hindu 
temple  has  recently  been  built  in  San  Francisco,  also  one  in  London. 
They  claim  Jesus  received  his  education  in  India. 

Are  you  connected  with  a  number  of  societies,  the  expenses  of  which 
drain  your  purse?  Stop  them  for  awhile  and  tell  the  heathen  of  the  joy 
they  may  have  in  the  society  of  Christ. 

BUDDHISM  is  found  in  North  India,  Tibet,  Southern  Siberia, 
Ceylon,  Burma,  Siam,  Indo-China,  China,  Korea,  Japan  and  wherever 
Buddhists  of  these  races  have  migrated. 

If  God  wants  vou  to  go  as  a  missionary,  do  not  think  you  can  excuse 
yourself  from  going  by  saving  that  you  will  stay  at  home  and  stir  up 
others.  You  cannot  stir  others  to  obedience  in  the  very  thing  in  which 
you  are  disobedient. 

TAOISM  is  confined  to  China,  where  it  originated.  It  has  had  DO 
living  issues  and  is  now  dying  within  its  own  temple  walls. 

Everyone  enjoys  gathering  flowers;  there  is  more  joy  in  gathering 
souls  for  the  Saviour's  crown. 

CONFUCIANISM  has  a  great  hold  upon  the  Chinese  and  has  also 
moulded  the  moral  life  of  both  Korea  and  Japan.  It  has  been  con- 
fined to  these  three  countries. 

Do  you  feel  that  vou  cannot  go  because  you  have  not  had  a  college 
and  seminary  training?  The  disciples  had  neither,  yet  they  did  well. 
It  may  be  you  can  also. 

ZOROASTRIANISM  never  spread  beyond  the  borders  of  Persia. 
:Mohammedanism  drove  it  from  the  country,  and  since  that  it  has 
gone  by  name  of  Tarseeism. 

You  say,  "My  business  keeps  me."  If  your  business  is  not  God's  busi- 
ness,  you  should  give  it  to  Him  or  give  it  up. 

PARSEEISM  is  observed  in  Persia  by  a  scattered  few\  The  num- 
ber in  India  is  about  92,000.    Most  of  these  reside  in  Bombay. 

Do  vou  hesitate  to  become  a  missionary  because  you  fear  you  will  not 
be  sure' of  your  salary?  If  Christ  had  waited  until  men  raised  His  salary, 
He   might  "not   be   here  yet.     Trust   God. 

SHINTOISM  has  naturally  been  confined  to  Japan,  because  one  of 
its  ol)jo('is  of  worship  has  been  the  emperor,  which  hindered  its  in- 
troduction among  other  nations. 

There  arc  a  thousand  things  you  might  do  in  life,  but  there  Is  only 
one  thing  you  ought  to  do.  "He  that  doeth  the  will  of  God,  abideth  for- 
ever." 

MOHAMMEDANISM  exists  in  Turkey,  Asia  Minor,  Palestine, 
Arabia,  North  Africa,  Soudan,  Afghanistan,  Turkestan,  Beloochistan, 
India,  Burma,  China. 

The  lack  of  missionary  spirit  in  the  Church  in  the  first  five  centuries 
accounts  for   Africa   being  heathen   and   Mohammedan   today. 

10 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  SYSTEM. 

CHRISTIANITY.  Divine  love  is  the  one  conspicuous  characteris- 
tic of  Christianity.  From  this  all  other  graces  flow.  This  is  what 
differentiates  it  from  all  other  religions,  as  none  of  them  exhibit  love. 

"It  Is  manly  to  love  one's  country.  It  is  Godlike  to  love  the  world." 
—J.    W.    Conklln, 

BRAHMANISM  is  an  autocratic  system  inaugurated  by  designing 
priests  who  used  it  to  compel  submission  and  obedience,  so  that  they 
could  enjoy  the  despotic  power  and  ecclesiastical  sway  they  craved. 
— q-238.  V-3G.     B-vol.  11-51.     D-102.     F-293. 

HINDUISM  is  strongly  polytheistic,  having  330,000,000  gods. 
It  is  grossly  immoral  in  its  teachings  and  imagery;  inhuman  in  its 
base  system  of  caste  distinctions;  paralyzing  in  its  jealous  restric- 
tions in  industrial  life.  Hinduism  is  the^'csult  of  the  clash  between 
Brahmanism  and  Buddhism.— s-135.  t-62,  80,  115.  v-34.  C-124-135. 
J-62-4. 

BUDDHISM  is  atheistic.  It  denies  that  there  is  an  eternal  God. 
It  asserts  that  God  is  nothing,  man  is  nothing,  life,  death  and  eternity 
are  nothing.  God  has  left  the  universe  and  law  now  reigns.— b- 143. 
d-64.  f-127.  g-142.  k-68.  1-183.  B-vol.  1-153-9;  vol.  11-59,  401. 
C-136.     G-362-379.     J-84. 

TAOISM.  Evolution  and  crude  philosophy  form  its  character. 
Its  religious  worship  is  the  pacifying  of  evil  spirits  and  is  therefore 
sometimes  called  ''Devil  worship."  It  is  strongly  rationalistic— j -62, 
CO.    k-58,  75.    1-186.    m-680.     C-144.    r-728.    J-169,  181.    K-loO. 

CONFUCIANISM  is  an  ethical  cult.  Its  teachings  are  confined  to 
things  relating  to  earthly  life  only.  It  says  nothing  concerning  the 
soul,  the  hereafter  or  God.  The  emperor  is  the  only  priest.— a-48, 
b-129-134.    d-71.    f-130.    j-48.    k-65.    m-179.    C-139-144.    F-190. 

ZOROASTRIANISM  is  monotheistic  essentially,  but  dualistic 
practically.  Moral  defilement  can  be  cleansed  with  water.  It 
teaches  the  resurrection  of  tlie  body  and  future  retribution  for  sin. 
This  system  has  no  idols.— B-vol.  1-182,  203;  vol.  11-58,  131. 

PARSEEISM.  The  purest  of  the  ethnic  religions.  Stress  is  laid 
on  honesty,  truthfulness,  charity  and  religious  devotion.  Fire  and 
the  sun  are  symbols  of  the  deity.  It  is  strongly  opposed  to  idola- 
trous worship. — n-53. 

The  healing  balm  from  heaven  flows  freest  when  you  press  the  name 
of  Jesus  over  the  heart  of  a  thirsty  pagan. 

SHINTOISM  began  as  semi-monotheistic.  It  is  now  a  cult 
teaching  patriotism.  It  has  no  idols  but  worships  heroes,  natural 
objects  and  the  emperor.  It  has  no  public  worship  and  is  now  dis- 
established.—a-44.     b-100-7.    F-G73.    J-29,  43. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  is  a  mixture  of  Judaism  and  paganism.  It 
is  strongly  monotheistic;  teaches  absolute  predestination  and  that 
only  Moslems  are  saved.— k-80.  n-51.  u-177.  B-vol.  1-479.  C-118-123. 
F-484.    J-238.    L-111,  194-7. 

A  mixture  of  indifference  with  your  worship  will  make  your  piety  as 
truly  powerless  as  any  of  these  systems  of  darkness. 

II 


RELATION  TO  GOVERNMENT. 

CHRISTIANITY  gives  no  direct  commission  to  its  followers  to 
attempt  the  control  of  government  by  means  of  politics.  It  incul- 
cates principles  of  moral  rectitude  applicable  to  everyone.  Its  su- 
periority is  manifest  in  every  land,  in  proportion  to  the  place  the 
Word  of  God  is  given,  in  public  and  in  private  life. 

BRAHMANISM.  When  the  Aryan  people  first  came  to  India,  the 
priests,  bv  cunning  strategy,  gained  both  religious  and  political 
control  of'  the  new  kingdom*.  This  continued  until  foreign  aggres- 
sion overthrew  the  feudal  states  and  they  lost  their  political  power. 

HINDUISM  has  not  been  one  of  those  religions  which  was  de- 
pendent on  political  power  for  its  existence.  It  has  flourished  under 
every  rule  though  it  has  not  always  tried  to  control  the  reigning 
power.  Its  hold  is  so  firmly  rooted  in  the  Hindu  heart,  that  no 
government  has  dared  to  attempt  its  overthrow. 

BUDDHISTS.  The  non-aggressive  self-annihilating  character  of 
Buddhism  has  prevented  it  from  entering  politics  with  a  view  of 
gaining  control  of  governments  in  the  various  countries.  Confucius' 
idea  of  government  was  that  of  a  paternal  despotism  coupled  with 
the  personal  rectitude  of  his  subjects;  but  Buddha  remained  indiffer- 
ent to  politics. — J- 143. 

TAOISM.  Through  occult  power  and  other  means  Taoist  priests 
have  tried  to  control  the  Chinese  government.  They  were  largely  to 
blame  for  the  Boxer  movement  and  are  constantly  endeavoring  to 
overcome  Christianity  and  drive  its  missionaries  from  the  country. 
It  is  a  most  deadly  foe  to  the  internal  peace  of  China. 

CONFUCIANISM  has  so  moulded  Chinese  thought  that  the  whole 
empire  has  followed  its  teachings  and  grown  up  as  one  large  fam- 
ily, conservative  and  self-contained.  Confucius  held  that  he  should 
alwavs  be  consulted  in  governmental  affairs.  He  said:  'Tf  officials 
could  not  rectify  themselves,  they  could  not  manage  the  government." 
— J-191. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  Zoroaster,  as  a  religious  teacher,  endeav- 
ored to  bring  about  social  and  political  changes  through  his  moral 
principles  and  persuasion.  He  did  not  take  up  the  sword,  as  did 
ISIohammod,  to  enforce  the  acceptance  of  his  beliefs,  but  trusted  to 
his  hearers  to  act  uprightly  on  their  own  convictions. 

THE  PARSEES  are  law-abiding  citizens.  They  have  but  little 
to  do  with  political  matters.  This  may  be  partly  on  account  of 
their  fewness  in  numbers,  their  having  no  governmental  authority 
of  their  own,  their  preference  for  business  and  enjoyment  of  quiet 
domestic  life. 

SHINTOISM.  Shintoism  was  once  the  state  religion.  In  1880, 
when  tlie  constitution  was  adopted,  Shintoism  was  disestablished. 
-Japan  now  lias  no  state  religion,  yet  it  assists  in  maintaining  a  few 
old  shrines  as  historic  monuments.  Shintoism  exalted  ])at  riot  ism 
to  the  position  of  a  religion  and  the  emperor  was  nuule  the  object 
of  worship. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  has  the  spirit  of  its  founder— 'T^ule  or 
ruin,"  i)eiuetiilly,  if  there  is  no  opposition,  but  with  the  iron  heel, 
if  necessary.  Moliammedanism  makes  all  governments  bend  to  its 
dictates  wherever  it  can  gain  control.  To  have  supreme  authority  is 
the  spirit  of  the  religion. 

12 


PRESENT  HEAD  OF  AUTHORITY. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "Christ  is  tlie  head  of  the  church  "—Eph.  5:23. 
«We  are  members  of  his  body,  of  his  flesh,  and  of  his  bones  -Eph 
5  30.  ''Looking  unto  Jesus.»-Heb  12:2.  "An^  gave  him  (Christ) 
to  be  the  head  over  all  things  to  the  church.  -Eph.  1.22. 

THE  BRAHMANS  are  themselves  the  head  of  the  Hindu  religious 
system.  They  act  as  priests  and  are  the  gurus  or  saviors  of  the  Hin- 
dus.   They  are  greatly  divided,  and  lack  unity  and  headship. 

Does  the  will  of  Jesus  concerning  you  need  to  have  the  endorsement 
of  your  judgment  and  convenience  before  you  will  act? 

HINDUISM  seems  to  have  no  papacy  or  systematized  ecclesiasti- 
cal rule.  It  is  so  divided  into  sects  with  strangely  differing  views 
that  reunion  of  all  is  quite  impossible.— J-54. 

Do  vou  sav  as  an  excuse  for  remaining  here,  that,  "There  Is  work 
enough  Thome  ?o  do"?  If  you  are  honest,  then  you  are  hard  at  work. 
Have  you  led  a  soul   to  Christ  during   the  past  year? 

BUDDHISM  is  greatly  divided,  doctrinally  and  ecclesiastically. 
The  emperor  of  Japan  is  said  to  be  the  head  in  that  country.  Usu- 
ally each  temple  has  its  own  officers  independent  of  others.  Dalai 
Lama  is  Buddhist  pope  in  Tibet.-B-vol.  1-140.    D-148.    J-loO. 

THE  TAOIST  pope  lives  on  Dragon  and  Tiger  mountain  in  Kiang- 
si  and  in  elegant  style.  He  has  such  influence  that  it  is  said  he  some- 
times goes  to  Pekin  in  great  state  to  confer  with  the  emperor.— 
j-63.     m-679.     F-728.    J-170,  176. 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  emperor  of  China  is  considered  the  head 
of  Confucianism.  Confucianism,  however,  does  not  require  much  exec- 
utive authority.  It  moves  slowly  along  in  the  rut  of  ages.-D-62. 
J-193. 

Excuses  are  the  most  suicidal  pitfalls  in  the  world.  Every  worker 
makes  his  own  and  then  steps  in  and  down  to  his  doom. 

While  ZOROASTER  was  living,  he  was  the  head  of  the  system. 
After  him  the  power  of  authority  seems  to  have  been  assumed  by 
various  great  teachers. 

"Every  step  in  the  progress  of  missions  is  directly  traceable  to 
prayer."— A.  T.  Pierson. 

THE  PARSEE  people  stand  together  as  a  unit.  Being  compara- 
tively few  in  number  their  ecclesiastical  system  does  not  seem  to 
have  become  extensive  nor  hierarchial.  A  high  priest  exercises  eccle- 
siastical authority. 

The  world  has  become  calloused  in  sin  and  laughs  at  things  which 
caused  o^?  parents  to  weep.  Has  any  such  formation  begun  on  your 
heart?    Beware,    for    it    always    comes    gradually. 

SHINTOISM.  Mutsuhito,  the  emperor  of  Japan,  is  honored  as 
the  head  of  Shinto,  as  he  is  believed  to  be  a  direct  descendant  of  the 
Bun  goddess  and  a  separate  being  from  human  kind.— F-673.    J-31. 

You  mav  have  peace  with  God.  but  I  do  not  believe  you  can  have  the 
peace  of  God,   if  you  decline  to  be  interested  in  missions. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  recognizes  the  sultan  of  Turkey  as  the  royal 
head  of  its  religious  system.  He  thus  has  ecclesiastical  rule  over 
200,000,000  people. 

If  vou  become  a  missionary,  you  may  gather  a  little  family  about  you 
lor  heaven  that  would  have  been  left  out  but  lor  you. 


BELIEF   CONCERNING   GOD. 

CHRISTIANITY.  Josus  Christ  is  the  revelation  of  God  to  man. 
"God  is  love." — 1  John  4:8.  God  is  righteous. — 1  John  2:29.  God  is 
light. — 1  John  1:5.  Omnipotent — Matt.  19:20.  Omniscient. — 1  John 
3:20.     Omnipresent.— Psa.   139:7-10. 

"I  see  no  business  in  life  but  the  work  of  Christ."— Henry  Martyn. 
BRAHMANISM.  Everything  is  God  and  God  is  everything. 
Nothing  exists  but  one  universal  spirit  wlio  created  Brahm,  from 
whose  mouth  the  triad  of  gods  came.  The  prominent  gods  relegate 
the  care  of  man  to  the  lesser  gods.  God  is  not  to  be  worshiped,  but 
only  for  contemplation. — B-vol.  1-83.    D-79. 

HINDUISM.  The  earliest  worship  was  the  deified  powers  of  na- 
ture, sun,  moon,  etc.  Gradually  the  idea  of  one  supreme  being  arose. 
He  was  called  Brahm,  others  were  secondary.  Today  Brahm  means  the 
Brahmans  and  polvtheism  reigns. — r-14G-154.  s-137.  t-81.  v-38. 
A-444.  B-vol.  11-116,  120,  135.  C-23-30.  0-117-122.  C-71.  F-299. 
N-18-25. 

BUDDHISM.  Gautama  said:  "I  see  no  one  in  the  heavenly 
worlds,  nor  among  gods  or  men  whom  it  would  be  proper  for  mc  to 
honor."  He  left  no  god  to  worship,  so  his  followers  have  worshiped 
him.— a-45.  d-64.  r-69.  B-vol.  11-385.  C-31-33.  C-61.  r-120.  G-374. 
J-96. 

If  some  faithful  missionary  had  been  willing  to  have  buried  his  life 
in  India,  he  might  have  seen  Guatama  saved  and  millions  more  like  him 
delivered  from  the  evils  of  Buddhism. 

TAOISM.  Lao-tsze  taught  that  "Taou"  was  an  invisible,  unreach- 
able, exhaustless  abstraction,  too  subtle  for  words,  and  which  wa3 
the  mother  of  all  things,  even  of  God,  of  the  stars,  of  the  gods  of 
war,  of  riches,  etc.,  and  an  idol  of  Lao-tsze  is  now  worshiped. — B-vol. 
1-54;   vol  11-118.     C-35.     F-72G. 

CONFUCIANISM.  "Respect  the  gods,  but  let  them  alone,"  said 
Confucius.  Heaven,  spirits,  natural  objects,  sun,  moon,  clouds,  and 
also  spirits  of  departed  ancestors  are  the  present  objects  of  worship. 
—y5G.     k-GG.    B-vol.  1-50,  57;  vol.  11-150.     C-34.    r)-58.     F-192. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  The  two  great  principles  of  light  and  dark- 
ness were  believed  to  be  ruled  over  by  two  gods.  Ormuzd  ruled  over 
light  and  was  the  creator  of  good;  Ahriman  ruled  over  darkness  and 
was  the  creator  of  evil.  These  are  spirits  of  one  great  god. — B-vol. 
1-175-177;   vol.  11-100,  131.     G-397-400.     0-8. 

PARSEEISM.  They  believe  in  (Jod,  the  father  of  all.  Fire  is 
sacred  and  is  a  symbol  of  divinity  and  the  greatest  agent  of  God. 
There  is  a  god  of  light  and  one  of  darkness,  which  war  constantly 
with  each  other.— r-03.     F-574.     H-125. 

Never  try  to  evade  your  responsibility  by  saying  that  the  heathen  are 
living  np  to  the  light  they  have  when  you  know  you  are  not  doing  It 
yourself. 

SHINTOISM.  There  is  one  supreme  god,  but  because  of  his  ex- 
alted position  he  does  not  receive  human  worsliij)  directly,  but 
through  Ins  minor  dieties.  The  mikado  traces  his  ancestry  to  the  god- 
dess of  the  sun.— a-40.     F-G72-3. 

Do  you  know  that  your  false  excuses  are  costing  human  souls  their 
hope   of  heaven?     For  almost  every  word  you  utter  a  soul   dies. 

MOHAMMED  got  his  ulax  of  (iod  from  Judaism.  He  took  only 
the  attribute  of  justice,  and  had  a  god  of  law.  Jesus  Christ  he  con- 
sidered a  prophet,  but  inferior  to  himself. — u-171.  B-vol.  1-480;  vol. 
11-119,  380.    C-lU-22.    D-38,  42.    G-218.    J-239.    L-32.    Q-59. 

14 


BELIEF  CONCERNING  THE  CREATED  UNIVERSE. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heaven  and 
the  earth."— Gen.  1:1.  "The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God;  and 
the  firmament  showeth  forth  his  handy work."—Psa.  19:1. 

When  God  asks  you  questions  concerning  your  duty  to  the  heathen, 
do  you  answer  them  in  your  own  favor,  or  in  His  and  theirs? 

BRAHMANISM.  One  supreme  God  created  the  universe  and  all 
lesser  gods.  He  is  a  part  of  everything  and  everything  is  a  part  of 
him.  From  him  come  all  tiie  evolutions  of  nature.  Pure  cieation  is 
absurd.— 1-81.     B-vol.  1-84;  vol.  11-205.     D-99.     F-294-6.     G-348. 

HINDUISM.  Brahm  produced,  from  his  own  substance,  an  egg 
containing  all  the  primary  atoms,  principles  and  seeds  of  future 
worlds.  The  egg  grew  to  wondrous  size,  and  when  mature,  the  spirit 
within  burst  it  and  creation's  products  were  produced. — r-153.  B-vol. 
11-195-198.     C-29.     E-71-74. 

BUDDHISM.  It  is  materialistic.  It  knows  no  creator.  Creation 
was  effected  by  the  laws  of  nature,  cause  and  effect.  Destruction 
and  renovation  are  constantly  going  on  by  the  forces  of  nature, 
causing  continuous  changes  everywhere. — B-vol.  1-143.    J-98. 

TAOISM.  All  things  came  through  evolution.  "Nature  is  seen  to 
do  everything  for  herself  without  the  meddling  of  a  god."  Its  teach- 
ings correspond  to  the  theory  of  the  Nebular  Hypothesis. — F-726. 

Do  you  say  that  you  must  have  a  "special  call"  to  go  to  the  heathen? 
If  you  really  loved  them,  you  might  insist  upon  a  "special  call"  before  you 
would   consent  to   stay   at  home. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Originally,  all  was  chaos.  The  two  principles 
in  nature,  male  and  female,  exerted  their  harmonizing  influence  and 
the  purer  elements  ascended  and  formed  heaven,  while  the  baser 
descended  and  formed  earth.  From  these,  all  things  sprang  into  be- 
ing.—B-vol.  1-52.    F-192.    J-193. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  Two  gods  were  made  by  one  supreme  be- 
ing. One  created  the  light,  stars  and  all  that  is  good.  The  other 
created  darkness,  evil  and  everything  that  is  bad.  He  ever  tries  to 
spoil  the  work  of  the  good  god.— B-vol.  11-209.    G-390. 

Have  you  over  thought  that  God  might  have  a  real  right  to  order  you, 
as  a  soldier,  to  the  front? 

PARSEEISM.  Ormazd,  the  god  of  light,  created  the  world  and 
fixed  its  duration  at  12,000  years.  He  also  created  the  sun  and  moon 
to  aid  him  in  his  fight  against  Ahriman,  the  god  of  evil.  "I  invoke 
the  holy  world  made  by  Aliura  Mazad  (Ormuzd)." — "Zend  Avesta" 
19:144.    B-vol.  1-195. 

SHINTOISM.  Before  the  gods  existed,  all  things  were  enveloped 
by  a  huge  egg  in  chaotic  form,  in  which  was  the  life  germ.  It  grew 
and  the  egg  burst.  The  lighter  substance  floated  up  and  made  heaven 
and  the  heavier  made  earth.  Japan  was  the  first  part  created 
and  is  the  "land  of  the  gods."— F-673. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  The  Mohammedan  view  of  the  creation  of 
the  universe  is  much  like  that  given  in  the  Bible,  from  which  it  was 
doubtless  taken.  God  spake  and  the  objects  of  creation  sprang  into 
being.— B-vol.  11-380,  382. 

The  Spirit  of  God  can  convert  the  heathen,  but  He  must  have  a  Spirit- 
filled  Christian  there  as  a  sample  of  the  work  which  He  will  do  for  them. 

15 


BELIEF  CONCERNING  MAN. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "God  liath  made  man  upright;  but  they  have 
sought  out  many  inventions." — Eccl.  7:29.  "All  liave  sinned,  and 
come  short  of  the  glory  of  God." — Rom.  3:23.  "The  lieart  is  deceit- 
ful above  all  things,  and  desperately  wicked,  who  can  know  it?" — 
Jer.  17:9. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  human  soul  is  a  portion  of  the  universal 
spirit.  The  soul's  transmigration  will  finally  bring  it  back  where  it 
will  be  absorbed  into  Brahm  from  which  it  came. — B-vol.  II-17G.  F- 
295.    G-347. 

Do  you  say  that  you  have  business  gifts  which  are  making  you  suc- 
cessful and  therefore  you  ouijht  not  to  leave?  Would  you  send  only  busi- 
ness failures  as  missionaries? 

HINDUISM.  "j\Ian  is  a  mere  illusion."  For  him  to  assume  to 
declare  his  own  real  existence,  is  but  the  raving  of  his  ignorance. 
He  is  a  part  of  God  and  God  is  a  part  of  him.  He  has  no  separate 
individuality.— 1-85.     v-42.     E-71.     F-299. 

BUDDHISM.  Man  is  formed  of  two  essences,  matter  and  spirit; 
of  matter,  but  for  a  short  time.  Man's  spirit  is  transmigi'atory  and 
its  good  or  bad  conduct  determines  the  body  it  will  have  in  each  suc- 
ceeding birth.  "Self  is  an  error,  an  illusion,  a  dream"  (a  Buddhist 
saving).— B-vol.  11-117,  385,  387.  D-152-3.  E-57.  F-115,  120.  G-307. 
J-99. 

TAOISM  believes  the  human  soul  to  be  a  purified  form  of  matter 
and  that  it  may  become  immortal  only  by  physical  discipline. 

"If  I  thought  anything  would  prevent  my  dying  for  China,  the  thought 
would  crush  me."— Samuel  Dyer. 

CONFUCIUS  did  not  treat  of  man's  origin.  He  declared  that  all 
men  are  born  good  and  taught  that  man  must  master  his  own  des- 
tiny.- A-440.     B-vol.  1-153. 

Fellow  student,  are  you  willing  that  400,000.000  Chinese  shall  die 
believing  this,  when  you  know  what  God  teaches  about  it? 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  Man  is  a  dual  creature,  possessing  a  good 
and  a  bad  nature,  each  struggling  for  supremacy  in  his  life.  If  he 
cultivates  the  good,  he  will  go  to  heaven,  and  if  the  bad,  he  will  be 
cast  into  hell. 

One  person  is  said  to  die  every  second ;  but  why  should  I  tell  you, 
unless  you  care  where  they  are  going? 

PARSEEISM.  ]\Ian  has  two  intellects,  as  there  are  two  lives, 
one  mental  and  the  other  physical.  INIan  has  a  good  and  a  bad 
nature  and  each  craves  him  to  satisfy  its  longings. 

If  every  Trotestant  Christian  would  give  one  dollar  a  year  to 
missions,   the   annual  income  would  be  over  .$loO,000,OOU. 

SHINTOISM  says:  "All  men  have  come  from  the  sun-goddess." 
The  emperor  is  the  direct  and  favored  descendant  who  is  worthy  of 
worship.  Man's  soul  cannot  be  defiled,  but  the  flesh  can  and  will 
therefore  bear  the  punishment. 

Do  not  try  to  hide  behind  the  plea  that  God  will  be  merciful  to  the 
heathen,  when  you  cannot  take  time  to  even  pray  for  them. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  God  took  a  lump  of  clay  and  broke  it  in- 
to two  pieces.  From  them  He  created  mankind.  Of  one,  he  said: 
"These  to  heaven  and  1  care  not."  And  (»f  the  other  lump  lie  said: 
"These  to  hell  and  I  care  not."— B-vol.  11-380.     D-4G.     P-vol.  11-06. 

If  all  industi'ial  employes  did  their  work  as  the  Church  works  at  mis- 
sions, how  long  before  universal  bankruptcy  and  starvation  would  stalk 
through  our  land? 

16 


BELIEF  CONCERNING  SIN. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "By  one  man  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and 
death  by  sin;  and  so  death  passed  upon  all  men,  for  that  all  have 
sinned."— Rom.  5:12. 

"I  declare,  now  that  I  am  dyinfj,  T  would  not  have  spent  my  life  other- 
wise for  the  whole  world."— David  Brainerd. 

BRAHMANISM  teaches:  Since  I  am  a  part  of  God  and  God 
is  a  part  of  me,  I  cannot  be  held  responsible  for  my  actions.  What- 
ever He  may  do  in  me  must  be  right,  because  it  is  God  that  does  it. 
Sin  is  an  illusion.  A  Brahman  can  lie,  steal,  quarrel  and  slander 
without  thinking  it  sin,  but  dare  not  touch  a  person  of  another 
caste.— r-105.    B-vol.  11-179.    E-93,  96.    F-294-6.    G-348. 

HINDUISM.  The  Hindu  believes  it  is  wrong  to  call  men  sinners, 
since  the  acts  in  this  life  are  wholly  governed  by  the  conduct  of  their 
past  state.  Sinful  man  must  sin  according  to  his  nature,  as  a  tree 
brings  forth  its  own  fruit,  and  that  without  blame  or  condemnation. 
— r-156.     A-444.     C-47-52.     E-77-8. 

BUDDHISM.  Sin  consists  in  "desire."  To  desire  anything  is 
sin.  The  only  freedom  from  it  is  to  become  entirely  lost  in  medita- 
tive contemplation  and  to  become  absorbed  into  Buddha  in  Nirvana. — 
B-vol.  1-161;  vol.  11-177-184.  C-52-57.  D-152.  E-47.  F-115-6,  120. 
J- 102. 

TAOISM.  Sin  consists  more  in  displeasing  the  gods  and  the  an- 
cestral spirits  than  in  moral  wrong.  Individual  and  public  calamity 
calls  for  pacifying  peace  offerings  without  the  thought  of  repentance 
from  sin  ever  being  taken  into  account. — C-57. 

Where  did  you  get  the  right  to  say  "No"  to  God  in  anything? 
CONFUCIANISM.      Confucius  did  not  consider  man's  relation  and 
responsibility  to  God,  and  therefore  did  not  consider  man  a  sinner 
against  divine  justice.     Man  has  a  duty  to  his  fellow  men  and  its 
neglect  is  punishable.— j -57.    B-vol.  1-53.     D-63. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  Evil  thoughts,  words  and  deeds  constitute 
sin.  His  teachings  were  excellent  and  show  as  high  a  grade  of  truth 
as  is  usually  presented  in  human  philosophy  from  a  heart  which 
shows  "the  work  of  the  law,"  but  no  revelation.— B-vol.  11-313. 

Have  you  been  glad  when  someone  gave  an  excuse  why  you  might 
not  go  as  a  missionary? 

PARSEEISM.  The  Parsees  have  the  highest  moral  standard  of 
any  non-Christian  religion.  All  lying,  slander,  unchastity,  vice,  evil 
thoughts  must  be  avoided.  Breaking  one's  promise  is  a  very  griev- 
ous sin.— B-vol.  1-199. 

Trust  God  to  overcome  your  difficulties.  He  has  had  thousands  of 
years  of  experience. 

SHINTOISM  is  almost  devoid  of  moral  teaching.  The  "way  of 
the  gods"  consists  in  the  worship  of  heroes,  and  not  in  the  teaching 
of  ethics  or  the  moral  obligations  resting  upon  men.— b- 106. 

"Our  remedies  frequently  fail,  but  Christ  as  the  remedy  for  sin  never 
fails."— Mackenzie. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  Only  the  wilful  violation  of  a  known  law 
of  God,  is  considered  sin.  Sins  of  ignorance  are  not  counted  as  sins. 
Sin  has  nothing  to  do  with  our  nature.  Man  inherits  none  of  Adam's 
sinful  nature,    r-96.    C-22,  40-40.    E-162. 

,  17 


BELIEF  CONCERNING  SALVATION. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "Through  this  man  (Jesus)  is  preached  unto 
you  the  forgiveness  of  sins," — Acts  13:38.  "Neither  is  there  salvation 
in  any  other." — Acts  4:12.  "By  grace  are  ye  saved  through  faith; 
and  that  not  of  yourselves:  it  is  the  gift  of  God." — Eph.  2:8. — C- 
59-64. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  salvation  of  the  Brahmans  is  the  union  of 
the  soul  with  Brahm.  This  is  gained  through  transmigration,  the 
duration  and  number  of  births  of  which  are  shortened  by  strict  ad- 
herence to  Brahminical  laws.— r-106.  s-138-9.  t-77,  92.  B-vol.  1-119; 
n-31C,  330,  396.     D-30.    E-93.     F-294.     G-348.     H-90,  101. 

HINDUISM.  Worshiping  the  gods,  offering  sacrifices,  saying 
prayers,  bathing  in  the  Ganges,  making  pilgrimages,  doing  penance, 
placating  the  spirits  or  dying  with  a  cow's  tail  in  the  hand,  are  some 
w^ays  of  securing  salvation.  "Even  if  an  evil  person  worship  me,  and 
no  other,  he  must  certainly  be  deemed  good." — "Bhagavad  Gita" 
18:71.  n-117.  r-159.  t-87,  92.  A-411  C-70-78.  E-87-88,  187-198. 
F-299.    R-59,  400. 

BUDDHISM.  Existence  is  the  cause  of  suffering.  The  only  way 
to  overcome  all  evil  is  to  cease  to  exist.  Inward  culture,  through 
right  belief,  resolve,  language,  behavior,  livelihood,  exertion,  mind 
and  meditation  will  save.— c-76.  k-70.  1-168.  r-69.  A-427-429.  B- 
vol.  11-306,  387.  C-79-88.  D-137,  141.  E-48.  F-114,  118,  120.  G- 
364,  370.    J-109,  125.    N-17. 

TAOISM.  A  person's  future  life  depends  on  his  conduct  in  this 
life.  Offering  prayers  and  gifts  to  the  gods,  are  valuable  in  secur- 
ing peace  of  soul.  After  death,  relatives  may  send  relief  by  prayers 
and  material  gifts.— 1-185.    m-674,  680.    C-89.    F-727-8.    J-176.    X-15. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Man  is  the  maker  of  his  own  destiny.  Con- 
fucius said:  "\Miat  you  do  not  want  done  to  yourself,  do  not  do  to 
others."  He  believed  man  is  capable  of  eradicating  evil  from  his 
nature  without  God's  help.— B-vol.  1-53.  C-89.  D-63,  66,  67,  76-77. 
J-187. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  Salvation  comes  to  those  who  enter  the 
battle  of  good  against  evil  and  overcome.  Pure  tliouglit  going  out 
in  true  words  and  resulting  in  right  actions  is  the  whole  duty  of 
man.  "\\Tiichever  of  two  bedfellows  gets  up  first,  shall  enter  Para- 
dise."—"Zend  Avesta"  18:53.     F-674. 

PARSEEISM.  Resist  evil,  do  good,  say  prayers  daily,  wear 
sacred  shirt  and  string  and  keep  hearth  fire  burning  are  some  com- 
mands of  Parseeism.  After  death  Parsees  cross  abyss  on  a  razor. 
For  good  Parsees  it  is  laid  flat,  but  for  bad  Parsees  the  sharp  edge 
is  turned  up.— r-66,  x-31,  32. 

SHINTOISM.  With  the  belief  that  they  are  descended  from  the 
gods  and  the  practice  of  deifying  and  canonizing  men,  a  moral  code 
is  an  innovation,  and  salvation  from  sin  is  quite  unnecessary. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  Their  beliefs  in  predestination  and  fatal- 
ism make  their  future  fixed.  However,  prayer,  good  works,  defense 
of  the  faith,  are  of  some  assistance.  Salvation  from  present  power 
of  sin  is  ignored.  No  incarmatioH.- C-65-69.  D-41.  E-161.  F-489. 
J-244. 

18 


BELIEF  CONCERNING  HEAVEN. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "He  looked  up  steadfastly  into  heaven,  and 
saw  the  glory  of  God,  and  Jesus  standing  on  the  right  hand  of  God." 
— Acts  7:55.  "In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions.  I  go  to 
prepare  a  place  for  you." — John  14:2. 

"He  who  loves  not,  lives  not;  he  who  lives  by  the  Life  cannot  die." 
—Raymond  Lull. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  Brahman  who  has  been  true  to  the  vows 
of  his  caste  and  performed  the  required  "good  works,"  is  at  death 
reabsorbed  into  Brahm  as  a  drop  of  water  is  reabsorbed  into  the 
ocean  from  which  it  came.    R-146. 

"If  you  want  to  serve  your  race,  go  where  no  one  else  will  go  and  do 
what  no  one  else  will  do."— Mary  Lyon. 

HINDUISM.  The  goal  of  the  Hindu  is  to  escape  from  suffering. 
Heavenly  experiences  are  attained  by  merit.  Peace  comes  only  by 
absorption  into  deity.  No  one  has  gone  to  prepare  a  place  for  them 
as  in  Christianity.— C.-106-113.     F-299. 

BUDDHISM.  Nirvana  is  the  heaven  of  Buddhism.  There  the 
personality  of  the  Buddhist  is  absorbed  into  Buddha  through  con- 
templation. It  is  what  they  call  the  "western  paradise,"  full  of 
sensuous  enjoyments.— a-45-46.  k-69.  1-170.  A-434.  B-voI.  1-162: 
vol.  11-332,  377,  386.     F-116.     J-113. 

TAOISM.  The  way  to  heaven  is  difficult  because  the  spirits  and 
gods  are  selfish  and  hinder  one's  progress.  They  can  be  coerced 
occasionally,  but  usually  must  be  won  by  bribes  or  gifts.— C- 114. 

"Win  China  to  Christ  and  the  most  powerful  stronghold  of  Satan 
upon  earth  will   have  fallen."— Mr.  Wong. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Confucius  confined  his  teaching  to  this  world. 
Man's  rewards  and  punishments  for  good  or  evil  are  received  in  this 
life,  and  there  is  no  reckoning  on  what  may  or  may  not  come  here- 
after.—m-31.    C-114.    J-194. 

Do  you  enjoy  the  money  you  spend  on  yourself  and  begrudge  what 
you  give  to  missions? 

ZOROASTER  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  hereafter,  both  of  the 
good  and  evil.  His  ethical  teaching  was  of  a  high  order,  and  it  fol- 
lows that  his  idea  of  heaven  was  less  sensual  than  that  of  others. 

"Give  until  you  feel  it  and  then  give  until  you  don't  feel  it."— Mary 
Lyon. 

PARSEES  believe  that  after  death  the  soul  lingers  near  the  place 
to  the  end  of  the  third  day  and  then  goes  to  its  long  home.  Heaven 
is  the  "house  of  hymns,"  where  the  angels  ever  siag  praises.— r-64. 
B-vol.  1-199. 

SHINTOISM  was  absorbed  by  Buddhism  so  early  in  its  history 
that  it  did  not  develop  a  full  code  of  theological  beliefs.  Heaven 
seems  to  be  a  place  where  heroes  are  rewarded  and  worshiped. 

"Now  let  me  burn  out  for  God."— Henry  Martyn. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  teaches  that  heaven  is  a  place  of  sensual 
enjoyments  to  which  only  Mohammedans  can  go.  They  will  rest 
upon  gold  couches,  be  attended  by  celestial  beings  and  be  always 
eating,  and  drinking  but  never  satiated.— r-96.  C-95-100,  104.  J-244. 
L-37. 

"Ninety-nine  per  cent  of  the  Christians  In  Central  Africa  have  been 
brought  to  Christ  through  agents  of  American  churches."— Donald  Frazer, 

19 


BELIEF  CONCERNING  HELL. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting 
fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels."— Matt.  25:41.  "In  hell 
he  (the  rieli  man)  lift  up  liis  eyes,  being  in  torments."— Luke  10:23. 
"\\aio  shall  be  punislied  with  everlasting  destruction  from  the  pres- 
eace  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  His  power."— 2  Thess.  1:9. 
Can  you  face  God,  if  you  have  never  tried  to  save  a  soul? 
BRAHMANISM.  As  birtli  in  the  Brahman  caste  is  about  the 
last  stage  before  absorption  into  Brahm,  there  is  but  little  torment 
for  them.  Hell  is  for  those  who  have  not  reached  this  caste.— B-voL 
11-330.     F-296. 

HINDUISM.  Hell  is  a  condition  of  suffering  brought^  on  hj  sin 
and  demerit,  which  brings  a  retribution  administered  by  evil  spirits. — 
s-125.     C-lOG-113.     11-149. 

"I  tell  you.  fellow  Christians,  your  love  has  a  broken  wing,  if  it  can- 
not fly  across  the  ocean."— Maltbie  D.   Babcocli. 

BUDDHISM.  The  purgatorial  punishments  wdiich  Buddhists  suf- 
fer in  their  normal  round  of  births  and  deaths  constitutes  the  Budd- 
hist hell.  Its  purpose  is  the  preparation  for  final  absorption  into 
Buddha.  The  problem  of  Christianity  is,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be 
saved?"  while  that  of  Buddhism  is,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be  extin- 
guished?"—a -45.     k-70.     1-175.     B-vol.  11-179.     D-136. 

TAOISM.  The  future  life  of  the  Taoist  is  not  a  happy  prospect, 
because  he  believes  it  to  be  filled  with  greater  battles  and  conflicts 
than  this  life.  Taoist  views  of  the  future  are  much  the  same  as 
those  of  Confucius. — F-728. 

"China  is  under  the  hammer  and  the  devil  is  an  active  bidder." 
CONFUCIUS  said:     "You  do  not  understand  life,  how  can  you 
know  death?"     "We  cannot  perform  our  duties  in  this  life,  how  can 
we  perform  our  duties  to  the  spirits."     Thus,  Confucius  ignored  fu- 
ture punishment. 

"God  never  sent  a  man  alone  to  do  His  work."— Donald  Frazer. 
ZOROASTRIANISM.     Ahriman,  the  author  of  evil,  presides  over 
the  punishment  of  the  wicked.     However,  righteousness  will  liiially 
triumph  and  the  wicked  will  be  delivered. 

"I  cannot,  I  dare  not,  go  up  to  .iudgment  till  I  have  done  the  utmost 
God  enables  me  to  do  to  diffuse  Ilis  glory  through  the  world."— Asabel 
Grant. 

PARSEEISM.  After  death  the  soul  passes  to  judgment.  Dur- 
ing the  last  ton  days  of  the  year  it  is  believed  that  the  spirit  comes 
back  to  the  earth  to  visit.  Prayers  are  then  offered  for  the  dead. — 
r-C4.    B-vol.  1-200. 

"Tho  most  pathetic  feature  of  the  condition  of  the  heathen  is  their 
ignorujice  of  their  need."— Kobert  E.   Speer. 

SHINTOISM.  Since  sin  is  not  on  moral  grounds  but  in  cere- 
monial pollution,  tlic  ronicdy  is  also  in  a  ceremonial  act.  runishinent 
is  all  in  this  life,  and  death  completes  its  work  and  the  soul  escapes. 
They  have  no  hell. 

"You   can  drive  a   horse,   but  you  must  win  a  soul." 
MOHAMMEDANISM.      Tho    liell    of    the    :\Iohammedans    is   very 
similar  to  the  purgatory  of  the  Uoman  Catholics.    It  is  believed  that 
]\Iohanimed  formed  nuiny  of  his  views  from  reading  tlie  Apocryphal 
books.— L-37.    Q-07. 

20 


BELIEF  CONCERNING  PURGATORY. 

CHRISTIANITY.  In  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  purgatory  is 
believed  to  be  the  great  soul  purifier  of  the  future.  This  is  a 
denial  of  Christ's  finished  work,  and  deludes  people  into  thinking 
they  can  do  penance  in  another  world  for  the  sins  committed  here. 
Protestantism  rests  on  the  finished  work  of  Christ  and  teaches  that 
Christians  are  thereby  saved  from  punishment  after  death. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  time  to  be  spent  in  torment  is  2,160,000 
years,  after  which  the  sufferer  is  permitted  to  rise  to  a  higher  ex- 
istence through  the  bodies  of  worms,  reptiles  or  demons.  A  gold- 
thief  must  pass  1,000  times  through  the  bodies  of  spiders,  snakes, 
and  noxious  demons.    R-151. 

HINDUISM  possesses  a  great  variety  of  intermediate  abodes  for 
the  punishment  of  sin:— The  "swine"  hell,  "padlock,"  "red  hot 
iron,"  "great  flame,"'  "salt,"  "insect,"  "pinchers'  hell,"  etc.  All  who 
break  caste  are  sent  to  some  appropriate  place  of  torment.  The 
punishment  is  not  for  moral,  but  for  ceremonial  and  caste  failures. 
R-149. 

BUDDHISTS'  purgatorial  punishments  may  consist  of  delays  of 
re-births  because  of  sin.  Punishments  are  represented  by  figures 
of  people  in  front  of  Buddhist  temples  in  China;  some  have  heads 
of  calves,  others  have  upheld  their  arms  until  rigid  or  are  placed 
in  boiling  oil.  These  are  the  priests'  tricks  to  terrify  worshipers 
into  obedience. 

TAOISM  teaches  that  one  of  three  souls  in  man  goes  to  pur- 
gatory, where  it  is  made  to  undergo  various  disciplinary  sufferings, 
and  if,  at  last,  after  all  the  transmigrations  and  pains  of  purga- 
tory the  sinner  prove  irreformable,  he  is  sent  to  an  endless  hell. 

CONFUCIANISM  deals  with  this  life  only.  The  question  as  to 
what  shall  be  after  death  for  the  individual,  Confucius  simply  ig- 
nored. He  taught,  however,  that  an  evil  doer  might  expect  to  reap 
what  he  sowed  and  laid  his  entire  stress  upon  correct  living  in  this 
world,  allowing  any  future  life  to  take  care  of  itself. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  The  supreme  consciousness  of  the  just 
punishment  of  sin  rests  on  all  the  world.  This  conviction,  coupled 
with  the  universal  dream  that  all  will  come  out  well  in  the  end, 
has  necessitated  the  invention  of  an  intermediate  place  of  punish- 
ment among  those  ignorant  of  God's  saving  grace  in  Christ. 

PARSEEISM.  At  the  end  of  time,  the  earth  will  become 
a  molten  stream  and  all  must  pass  througli  it;  to  the  righteous, 
it  will  feel  as  warm  as  milk,  but  sinners  will  be  carried  down  into 
the  abyss  where  they  will  burn  three  days  and  nights;  this  will 
purify  them,  after  which  they  will  be  received  into  heaven. 

SHINTOISM.  Since  this  cult  has  no  hell  and  does  not  treat  of 
the  punishment  of  sin,  there  can,  therefore,  be  no  place  for  a  pur- 
gatory in  its  teachings.  Its  proud  attitude  of  sinlessness,  and  the 
fact  that  its  gods  are  merely  deified  heroes,  put  it  on  a  low  plane  of 
moral  value,  especially  since  its  law  of  practical  living  is  to  follow 
one's  natural  impulses. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  teaches  that  sinners  are  tormented  in  the 
tomb,  while  the  good  have  spiritual  delights  set  before  them.  Mo- 
hammedans may  have  to  pass  through  purgatory  but  only  for  a 
few  days.  Prayers  are  offered  for  departed  friends  (not  idolators). 
Priests  make  praying  for  the  dead  a  very  profitable  business. 

21 


BELIEF    CONCERNING    TRANSMIGRATION. 

CHRISTIANITY  denies  transmigration  in  various  ways.  It  ac- 
cords to  each  spirit  only  one  body.  At  death,  these  remain  separate 
and  alone  until  reunited  at  the  resurrection.  God  never  unites 
human  spirits  with  bodies  of  lower  animals. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  knowledge  that  realizes  that  everything  is 
Brahma  alone,  liberates  the  soul.  As  long  as  the  soul  wishes  any- 
thing it  will  continue  to  migrate  and  to  suffer.  The  early  Vedic 
worship,  however,  did  not  teach  transmigration.  Its  principles  of 
sacrifice  and  transmigration  are  inconsistent  with  each  other.  B-vol. 
II  39G.    E-33,  93,  R-139. 

HINDUS  universally  accept  transmigration.  Present  conduct  is 
the  result  of  some  past  existence,  and  future  existence  is  deter- 
mined by  present  deeds.  If  good,  the  next  birth  will  be  in  a  higher 
form,  perhaps  an  elephant;  if  bad,  it  may  be  in  a  snake  or  a  dog. 
The  final  deliverance  is  through  knowledge. — B-vol.  1-115.    E-86,  93. 

BUDDHISTS.  Guatama  adopted  transmigration  as  an  only  solu- 
tion to  some  of  the  inexplicable  problems  of  life.  He  did  not  be- 
lieve in  a  separate  existence  of  soul  and  body.  Since  future  bless- 
ing is  measured  by  present  conduct,  so  the  present  condition  is  the 
result  of  past  conduct. — E-46.     F-114. 

TAOISM.  The  Taoists  have  been  servile  imitators  of  the  Budd- 
hists in  many  things;  one  of  which  was  transmigration,  as  it  enabled 
them  to  increase  the  personal  importance  of  the  founder  of  their 
religion  by  declaring  that  he  had  been  born  into  the  world  many 
times,  in  high  positions. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Confucius  did  not  teach  transmigration.  He 
avoided  all  subjects  pertaining  to  the  future  life.  The  Chinese  call 
"death"  the  breaking  of  the  three-inch  vapor,  which  escapes  up- 
ward like  a  wreath  of  smoke.  The  relatives  have  a  custom  of 
going  out  just  after  dark  and  calling  the  soul  to  come  back. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  The  passing  of  the  spirit  of  a  deceased 
person  into  another  physical  body,  to  live  out  a  new  life,  seems 
never  to  have  entered  the  mind  of  Zoroaster.  His  method  of  classify- 
ing and  rewarding  people  was  not  by  the  miseries  of  transmigi'ation 
but  by  the  ministrations  of  spirit  judges. 

THE  PARSEES  deal  with  but  one  life  for  each  person.  This  life 
begins  at  birth  and  continues  through  its  earthly  existence  after 
which  the  immortal  good  pass  on  to  blissful  enjoyment  and  the 
wicked  to  their  merited  punishment. 

SHINTOISM  developed  out  of  ancestral  worship.  About  400  A. 
D.  the  system  was  advanced  so  that  it  passed  out  of  the  narrow 
precincts  of  the  home,  and  a  separate  temple  was  erected,  o\er 
which  a  chief  priestess,  the  daughter  of  the  Mikado,  was  placed  as 
custodian.     Transmigi'ation  was  not  recognize' 

MOHAMMEDANISM  docs  not  teach  transmigration  but  declares 
Adam's  posterity  was  once  taken  from  his  loins,  by  the  Creator,  and 
became  small  ants  until  they  acknowledged  tlieir  dependence  upon 
God,  after  which  they  returned  into  the  loins  of  their  great  ancestor. 

22 


BELIEF  CONCERNING  THE  RESURRECTION. 

CHRISTIANITY.  Jesus  said:  "I  am  the  resurrection,  and  the 
life."_John  11:23.  "But  now  is  Christ  risen  from  the  dead,  and 
become  the  firstfruits  of  them  that  slept."— 1  Cor.  15:20.  "God 
hath  both  raised  up  the  Lord,  and  will  also  raise  up  us  by  his  own 
power."— 1  Cor.  6:14. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  idea  of  a  resurrection  was  carried  to  India 
through  Christ's  teaching.  It  was  introduced  into  Brahman  teaching 
and  stands  in  opposition  to  its  previous  belief  in  transmigration. 
When  a  Brahman  dies,  prayer  is  offered  for  the  resurrection  of  the 
soul  and  a  ball  of  rice  is  exposed  to  be  taken  by  a  crow. 

HINDUISM  teaches  transmigration  which  precludes  any  need  for 
a  resurrection,  since  the  spirit  passes  on  from  one  body  to  another 
and  does  not  occupy  its  former  body  again.  Thus,  transmigration 
largely  fulfills,  in  the  Hindu  mind,  the  thought  of  a  resurrection, 
the  future  condition  being  determined  by  the  conduct  in  this  life. 

BUDDHISM.  Gautama  said,  before  his  death,  "Through  various 
transmigrations  have  I  passed,  always  vainly  seeking  to  discover 
the  builder  of  my  tabernacle.  Painful  are  repeated  transmigrations 
but  now,  0  builder,  thou  art  discovered.  Never  shalt  thou  build 
me  another  house.  To  Nirvana,  my  mind  has  gone.  I  have  at- 
tained the  extinction  of  desire." — E-48. 

TAOISM.  Some  scholars,  like  Dr.  Douglass,  deny  that  the  doc- 
trine of  a  future  life  is  any  part  of  Taoism.  However,  the  fact  that 
its  leaders  have  sought  the  plant  that  gives  immortality  is  con- 
clusive. It  teaches  that  whenever  the  body  can  be  made  impreg- 
nable to  attacks  of  disease  and  death,  it  will  then  be  like  that  of 
immortals. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Dr.  Legge  says:  "Confucianism  taught  the 
existence  of  the  soul  after  death,  but  nothing  of  the  character  of 
that  existence."  Confucius  entirely  ignored  details  of  the  life  be- 
yond. Those  he  did  mention  were  about  ^he  soul  and  not  the 
body.  Those  who  discipline  theinselves  sufficiently  well  attain  power 
to  rise  from  earth  to  heaven;  where  the  body  will  lose  its  grossness 
and  the  soul  will  become  pure. — K-150. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  All  good  creation  will  be  raised,  as  is 
stated  in  the  next  paragraph  under  "Parseeism."  However,  suicide 
and  adultery,  being  considered  deadly  sins,  cause  all  who  commit 
these  deeds  to  be  cast  into  torment  from  which  they  cannot  be  re- 
leased. After  death,  prayer  is  offered  that  the  soul  of  the  deceased 
may  be  raised  up  to  heaven. 

PARSEEISM.  All  life  of  the  good  creation,  especially  man, 
bodily  as  well  as  spiritual,  is  a  sacred  pawn,  intrusted  by  God  to 
man.  If  natural  death  destroy  the  body  it  is  not  the  fault  of 
man.  It  is  considered  the  duty  of  God,  at  the  resurrection,  to  re- 
store all  life  which  has  fallen  prey  to  death. 

SHINTOISM  was  the  outgrowth  of  nature  and  ancestral  wor- 
ship. The  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  had  no  larger  place  in  the 
thoughts  of  Shintoists  than  that  which  is  found  in  the  belief  of  those 
races  whose  reason  is  undeveloped.  They  possessed  the  simple  in- 
stincts of  an  aboriginal  people. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  teaches  a  literal  resurrection  produced  by  a 
living  principle  residing  in  one  of  the  bones  of  the  body,  which  will 
be  impregnated  by  a  forty  days  rain  before  the  resurrection  occurs, 
and  will  cause  the  bodies  to  sprout  forth  like  plants.— J-243.    L-36-37. 

23 


BELIEF  CONCERNING  PRAYER. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "Prayer  is  the  offering  up  of  our  desires  iiHto 
God  for  things  according  to  His  will,  in  the  name  of  Christ,  with  con- 
fession of  our  sins  and  thankful  acknowledgment  of  His  mercy." 

Did  yon  ever  know  a  missionary,  whose  heart  was  in  his  work,  who 
wished  to  return  to  the  homeland  to  live? 

BRAHMANISM.  Prayer  forms  a  prominent  and  very  important 
part  of  a  Brahman's  life.  No  religion  ever  produced  so  many  Phar- 
isees. Their  prayers  are  senseless,  yet  with  fair  speech,  have  en- 
trapped millions  of  unwary  souls.  "The  gods  talk  onlv  to  the  upper 
caste."— "Satapatha  Brahmana"  11:4;  4:1.— B-vol.  11-229. 

HINDUISM.  Prayers  are  offered  to  anything  and  everything;  to 
snakes,  so  tliey  will  not  bite;  to  tools,  so  they  will  work.  The  world 
has  no  sadder  picture  than  that  of  these  half-starved  people  so  earn- 
estly pleading  for  absolute  needs  to  gods  of  stone,  wdiile  priests 
deceive  them  with  answers. — r-142.     F-297. 

BUDDHISM.  Prayer  is  offered  to  Buddha  by  means  of  prayer- 
flags,  also  b}"  wheels  turned  by  hand  or  by  mountain  brooks.  These 
contain  the  w^ords,  "Om  mani  padme  hum"  (Oh,  the  jewel  in  the 
Lotus,  Amen).  Priests  are  paid  for  offering  prayers. — a-47.  d-67. 
e-71,  214.     g-147.     r-75.     B-vol.  11-236.     D-151.     E-60.     J-98.     K-164. 

TAOISM.  The  worshiper  falls  on  his  knees  before  the  altar  and 
then  bows,  touching  his  forehead  to  the  ground;  prayers  are  then 
offered  and  money  is  given.  Prayer  continues  according  to  the  feel- 
ings of  the  supplicant. 

CONFUCIUS  said.  "He  who  sins  against  heaven  has  no  place  to 
pray."  Paper  prayers  are  burned  before  the  ancestral  tablet.  Pray- 
ers'are  offered  to  the  dead,  soliciting  their  help. — B-vol.  11-231. 
D-60.    F-192. 

Missions  have  weight  with  you  just  in  proportion  as  you  are  interested 
in  God.    Have  you   weighed  them   recently? 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  "Your  thoughts  alone  will  be  your  inter- 
cessor." Prayers  are  said  from  the  "Zend"  prayer  book,  which  no  one 
but  the  priests  understand.  It  is  as  Latin  to  Catholics.  The  very 
pious  must  say  prayers  sixteen  times  a  day. — B-vol.  11-12,  235. 

PARSEEISM.  Prayer  is  said  before  a  fire  in  front  of  which  the 
worsliipor  sits  witli  moutli  covered,  that  no  unholy  saliva  may  fall 
in  the  holy  fire.  Tlie  choicest  place  for  prayer  is  by  the  sea  or  a 
running  stream  facing  the  setting  sun. — r-6G,  Co.    H-129. 

SHINTOISM.  The  worshiper  approaches  the  temple,  bathes  his 
hands  and  rinses  his  mouth  at  a  fount  of  holy  water,  steps  before 
the  altar,  claps  his  hands  to  call  the  attention  of  tlie  gods  to  his 
l)resence,  offers  his  prayer  and  retires. — r-88.  B-vol.  1-475;  11-237. 
J-45. 

ORTHODOX  MOHAMMEDANS  pray  five  times  a  day.  Friday  is 
their  Sabbath,  wiicn  all  Moslems  gatlier  for  prayer  at  the  mosques. 
If  traveling,  tlie  worshiper  spreads  his  mat  and  i)rays  toward  Mecca. 
—r-88.     B-vol.   1-475;   11-237.     J-24G.     L-22-23,  38.     Q-70. 

The  disasters  of  the  world  shock  us,  but  the  wail  of  the  lost  does  not 
even  disturb   the  prolouud   slumber   of  many   churches. 

24 


BELIEF   CONCERNING   INSPIRATION. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "All  scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God, 
and  is  profit.iblo  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  in- 
struction in  righteousness." — 2  Tim.  3:IG.  "Holj^  men  of  God  spake 
as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost." — 2  Pet.  1:21. 

BRAHMANISM  professes  belief  in  a  revelation,  yet  the  character 
and  arrangement  of  the  writings  make  this  claim  seem  quite  in- 
consistent. The  prophets  often  secured  their  revelations  while  in 
a  state  of  intoxication.  As  morality  is  no  particular  requirement 
for  communication  with  the  gods,  the  condition  of  drunkenness  was 
acceptable  to  the  people  for  receiving  revelations. — E-82. 

HINDUISM.  The  evidence  of  inspiration  to  many  Orientals,  is 
seen  when  a  speaker  or  writer  presents  lofty  ideas.  Their  so- 
called  revelations  are  sometimes  secured  by  priests  or  holy  men  who 
work  themselves  up  into  a  state  of  mental  exhilaration  during 
which  they  affect  to  receive  communications  from  the  unseen  world. 

BUDDHISM.  Buddha's  disbelief  in  God,  and  his  reliance  wholly 
on  intuitional  knowledge,  shut  him  out  from  professing  any  divine 
revelation.  He  claimed  to  have  arrived  at  perfect  knowledge  and 
his  teachings  consist  in  sentences  containing  epigrams  of  wisdom 
delivered  in  a  conversational  way. — E-57. 

TAOISM.  The  inspiration  of  Taoism  is  like  the  revelations  of 
the  clairvoyant,  coupled  with  the  magic  tricks  of  the  sorcerer.  Its 
priests  are  in  league  with  the  evil  one  and  their  demoniacal  de- 
ductions are  to  blame  for  most  of  the  fanatical  movements  in 
China  since  it  gained  its  foothold. 

CONFUCIUS  made  no  claim  to  inspiration,  though  his  followers 
have  tried  to  claim  it  for  him.  He  taught  more  as  one  who  feels 
perfect  assurance  that  his  doctrines  are  wholly  reliable.  Inspira- 
tion is  not  usually  expected  in  a  man  like  Confucius,  who  said  that 
*'to  keep  away  from  spiritual  beings  may  be  called  wisdom." 

ZOROASTER  is  declared  to  have  conversed  with  tlieir  divine 
being,  Ormazd,  and  also  with  archangels,  from  whom  lie  received 
commands  and  injunctions  which  may  be  found  in  the  "Zend  Avesta." 
A  revelation  of  the  resurrection  and  the  future  life  is  believed  to 
have  been  accorded  the  prophet. 

PARSEEISM.  The  sacred  books  of  Zoroaster  are  used  by  the 
Parsees.  These  books  treat  of  religion,  medicine,  astronomy,  agri- 
culture, botany,  philosophy,  etc.,  all  having  been  revealed  to  Zoroaster 
from  the  god  Ormazd.  The  high  priests  are  the  only  ones  now 
WHO  are  expected  to  be  able  to  understand  these  sacred  books. — 
"Zend  Avesta." 

SHINTOISM.  Since  Shintoism  has  no  strictly  sacred  t^^ritings, 
it  naturally  does  not  deal  with  inspiration.  It  was  only  after 
Buddhism  came  to  Japan  that  Shintoism  began  to  take  a  religious 
turn.  In  1700,  A.  D.  a  scholarly  study  began  which  aroused  Shin- 
toism  to   a   religious-political  revival. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  :Moslems  believe  God  sent  down  204 
sacred  books.  Their  doctrine  of  inspiration  is  meclianical.  The 
"Koran"  is  uncreated  and  eternal.  To  deny  this  is  rank  lieresy.  Tlie 
original  "Koran"  is  believed  to  be  kept  under  the  throne  of  God. — 
J-2'11.    L-19,  23,  28. 

25 


GOD  OR  GODS  OP  THE  SYSTEM. 

CHRISTIANITY.  ''God  is  a  spirit,  infinite,  eternal  and  unchange- 
able, in  His  being,  wisdom,  power,  holiness,  justice,  goodness  and 
truth." — Westminster  Catechism. 

"We  are  the  children  of  the  converts  of  foreign  missionaries,  and  fair- 
ness means  that  I  must  do  to  others  as  men  once  did  for  me."— Maltble 
D.  Babcoclj. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  gods  of  the  Aryans,  who  preceded  the  Brah- 
mans,  were  transferred,  after  being  renamed,  to  Brahmanism. 
Brahma  was  a  new  god  from  whom  the  Brahmans  came.  Every 
Hindu  has  his  Guru  (Brahman)  for  his  earthly  god. — s-128.  t-G-l. 
B-vol.  1-123;  vol.  11-54.     E-27. 

HINDUISM  has  a  triad  of  gods: — Brahm  the  creator,  Vishnu  the 
preserver,  and  Siva,  the  destroyer.  Besides  the.se,  the  Hindus  make 
any  object  a  god — a  tree,  stone,  cow,  or  a  Brahman.  A  traveler 
may  step  from  a  waiting  train,  set  up  a  stone  and  say  his  prayers 
to   it.— n-107.   q-273-287.     r-137.     s-122.     E-98,    110-148. 

BUDDHA  had  no  god  higher  than  a  perfect  man.  He  declared 
that  he  knew  no  one  he  ought  to  worship.  His  followers  have 
erected  his  image  in  every  Buddhist  temple  and  millions  offer  their 
prayers  before  them.— b-121,  124.  d-65.  e-C4.  k-72.  1-176.  E-59, 
105.     F-117. 

TAOISM.  The  dragon,  forces  of  nature,  stars,  serpent,  tiger, 
Tsaichin  (the  god  of  wealth),  Lao-tsze,  are  some  of  the  gods.  They 
did  not  worship  idols  until  after  Buddhism  came,  when  they 
borrowed  its  triad  system  of  holy  deities. — j-01.  k-60.  m-G79.  F-729. 
J-170-6,  180. 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  one  great  god  of  Confucianism  is 
"Shangte"  (supreme  ruler  of  the  universe),  which  is  worshiped 
only  by  the  emperor.  Confucius'  picture  is  hung  in  all  the  school- 
rooms and  idolized  by  teachers  and  scholars.  Ancestral  worship 
makes  every  father  a  god.— F-190,  191.     J-197. 

ZOROASTER  taught  that  there  is  one  god  named  Ormazd,  who  is 
the  creator  of  light  and  all  that  is  good.  His  description  somewhat 
resembles  IVIoses'  description  of  Jehovah,  and  it  is  possible  that  he 
had  read  the  Pentateuch.  He  believed  in  a  spirit  of  evil,  which 
arose  out  of  chaos. 

PARSEEISM  has  taken  the  two  "spirits"  of  Zoroastrianism  and 
called  them  gods.  Ornuizd  and  Ahriman,  the  gods  of  liglit  and 
darkness,  are  bitterly  opposed  to  each  other.  Ornuizd  will,  hoAv- 
ever,  finally  triumph. — B-vol.  I-17G. 

SHINTOISM.  The  supreme  god  is  called  "The  Central  and  Su- 
preme God  of  Heaven."  Two  gods,  Isaname  (female),  and  Isanagi 
(male),  the  Adam  and  Eve  of  Shintoism,  have  been  the  source  of 
created  things.  They  have  many  other  gods  and  a  sun  goddess. 
Heroes  are  deified.— a-41.    d-GO.    F-C73.    J-33,  38. 

MOHAMMEDANS  believe  in  a  God  of  only  one  person.  They 
teach  that  to  admit  that  Jesus  is  God  is  to  become  a  polytheist  and 
therefore  an  idolator.  Their  declaration  is:  "There  is  no  God  but 
Allah,  and  Mohammed  is  his  prophet." — r-91.    Q-59. 

Your  mental  furnishings  may  ho  small,  but  if  yon  can  live  the  humble 
Christ  life,  Ko  and  show  it  to  the  heathen  for  that  Is  what  they  most 
need  to  see. 


IDOLS. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me," 
is  God's  command.  The  sweet  fellowship  which  the  Christian  enjoys 
with  his  personal  Saviour  also  makes  him  spurn  the  thought  of 
setting  up  any  representation  of  Him  to  assist  in  his  spiritual 
communion. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  idols  are  bathed  and  fed.  They  are  put 
to  sleep  and  awakened  by  unearthly  noises  on  conch  shells.  The 
Brahmans  believe  the  idol  imprisons  a  spirit  which  consumes  the 
etherial  portion  of  the  offerings  of  rice,  oil,  butter  or  flowers. 

HINDUISM.  The  Hindu  pantheon  has  330,000,000  deities.  Be- 
sides these,  trees,  rivers  and  fields  are  worshiped.  Only  a  few  of 
their  deities  are  represented  in  idol  form.  Silver,  gold,  iron,  wood 
and  stone  are  used.  Most  of  the  idols  are  of  evil  gods.  Good 
spirits  receive  but  little  attention. — B-vol.  1-132. 

BUDDHISM.  Buddha  opposed  the  idolatry  of  his  day,  and  thus 
object  worship  has  been  observed  but  little.  The  first  objects  were 
the  wheel  of  the  law  and  the  bodhi  tree,  both  of  which  are  now 
largely  supplanted  by  the  image  of  Buddha. 

TAOISM.  The  kitchen  god  has  a  strong  hold  on  the  Taoist 
mind.  It  is  believed  to  watch  over  and  note  every  word  and  act 
of  the  family,  especially  of  the  women  while  they  work  and  gossip. 
On  New  Year's  eve,  this  god  goes  to  the  courts  above  and  gives 
a  report  of  the  family.  On  this  night,  special  conciliatory  offerings 
are  made.     On  the  third  day,  he  is  royally  welcomed  back. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Confucian  temples  contain  no  idols  except 
perhaps  a  statue  or  painting  representing  Confucius,  and  he  is 
not  exactly  worshiped.  Spirit  tablets  in  the  shape  of  small  pieces 
of  board,  neatly  varnished,  each  inscribed  with  the  name  of  one 
of  the  sages,  are  arranged  on  pedestals. 

ZOROASTRIANISM  never  seems  to  have  been  an  idolatrous  re- 
ligion, except  as  the  people  worshiped  natural  objects,  such  as  the 
sun  and  fire.  They  never  spit  in  the  river,  neither  will  they  wash 
their  hands  in  it,  nor  allow  anyone  else  to  do  so,  for  they  greatly 
reverence  rivers.  Zoroaster  earnestly  opposed  idolatry,  but  was  not 
an  iconoclast,  as  was  Mohammed. 

THE  PARSEES  have  neither  idols  nor  sacred  objects  except 
the  ever-burning  fire.  They  have  been  accused  of  being  fire  worship- 
ers but  they  resent  it,  declaring  that  they  use  the  fire  only  as  a 
symbol  through  which  to  worship  deity. 

SHINTOISM.  Pure  Shinto  shrines  contain  neither  idols  nor 
graven  images.  As  emblems  of  Shinto,  they  contain  mirrors  and 
strips  of  paper  hanging  from  wands. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  Arabs  before  IMohammed's  day  were 
idolaters,  but  afterwards,  through  his  teaching,  they  became  the 
most  iconoclastic  people  in  the  world.  However,  they  possess  ros- 
aries, visit  shrines,  pray  to  saints,  and  give  almost  divine  honor 
to  Mohammed  though  he  himself  denounced  saint  worship. 

27 


SYMBOLS. 

If  CHRISTIANITY  had  a  designed  symbol  it  might  be  the  "crosr, 
and  crown."  However,  it  is  not  a  "religion,"  but  a  life,  and  its  best 
representation  is  not  an  inanimate  object,  but  a  Spirit-filled  Christian. 

"Get  close  to  the  hearts  you  would  win  for  Christ."— Pilkington. 

BRAHMANISM.  Each  Brahman  wears  upon  his  forehead,  breast 
or  arm,  the  particular  mark  ot  his  caste.  It  is  marked  on  fresh  every 
morning  and  serves  as  an  open  testimony  of  his  faithfulness  to  his 
caste  and  god. 

You  have  said  :  "I  fear  the  climate,"  "my  health,"  "that  I  cannot 
learn  the  language."  VThy  should  you  not  say  :  "I  fear  the  heathen  are 
going  into  hell.     I  must  go  to  them." 

HINDUISM.  The  "iron  bracelet"  of  the  Hindus  is  placed  on  the 
wrist  of  a  woman  when  she  is  married,  to  show  that  by  the  laws  of 
Hinduism  she  is  the  slave  of  her  husband. 

"Nothing  earthly  will  make  me  give  up  my  work  in  despair."— David 
Livingstone. 

BUDDHISM.  The  image  of  Buddha  stands  out  clearly  as  its  sym- 
bol wherever  Buddhism  exists.  The  position  of  the  image  (always 
sitting)  and  the  quiet,  peaceful  expression  of  the  face  depict  its 
teachings. 

If  you  exchanged  places  with  the  heathen,  would  you  believe  them 
converted,  if  they  had  your  spirit  and  conduct? 

Since  TAOISM  is  practically  the  worship  of  demons,  the  "dragon" 
is  a  fitting  symbol  of  the  religion.  It  is  used  on  the  national  flag 
and  on  postage  stamps  and  the  emperor  is  said  to  sit  on  a  dragon 
throne. 

You  may  think  you  are  enlarging  your  bank  account  by  not  giving  to 
missions,  but  at  the  judgment  you  may  find  every  cent  thus  saved 
is  forever  lost? 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  ancestral  tablet,  so  revered  in  all  Chi- 
nese homes,  is  a  striking  symbol  of  Confucianism.  The  father's  ab- 
solute authority,  as  head  of  the  house,  is  exliibited  in  the  respect 
paid  to  the  tablet  after  his  death. 

ZOROASTER  Ixdieved,  since  Ormazd  created  the  light,  that  the 
sun,  which  is  the  largest  of  his  created  objects,  would  be  a  fitting 
symbol  of  his  presence. 

Can  you  prove  to  Christ  that  you  are  not  called  to  be  a  missionary? 

THE  PARSEES  constantly  use  a  picture  of  the  "rising  sun"  as  a 
symbol  of  thoir  religion.  Their  reason  is  the  same  as  that  which 
caused  Zoroaster  to  employ  it  in  the  beginning.  A  flame  of  fire  is 
also  a  much  employed  symbol. — F-575. 

THE  SHINTOISTS  teach  that  the  sun  goddess  gave  a  mirror  to 
her  son  Ninigi  when  he  came  to  subdue  tlie  eartli,  saying,  "Look 
upon  this  as  my  spirit."  All  shrines  have  a  duplicate  as  a  symbol  of 
the  divine  man  within  us." — F-ti73.    J-38.    J-27. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  The  crescent,  which  is  the  symbol  of 
Mohammedanism,  is  also  the  standard  for  the  sultan  of  Turkey,  who 
is  the  head  of  the  Moslem  religion. 

As  regards  Christ  and  missions  you  are  a  servant,  yet  you  pass  judg- 
ment on  the  heathen  as  though  you  were  their  master. 

28 


SACRED  WRITINGS. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "All  scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God, 
and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  instruc- 
tion in  righteousness:  that  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly 
furnished  unto  all  good  works."— 2  Tim.  3:16,  17.    B-vol.  II-256-2G4. 

BRAHMANISM.  Vedism,  Brahmanism  and  then  Hinduism,  is  the 
successive  order  of  this  religion  in  India.  The  Vedas  were  the  earliest 
sacred  writings.  Then  followed  those  found  under  "Hinduism." — 
B-vol.  1-90;   vol.  11-178,  259.     D-96,  103-124.     E-32.     F-294.     G-338. 

HINDUISM.  1.  Rig  Veda,  hymns  addressed  to  the  gods.  2.  Code 
of  Manu,  regulates  Hindu  social  and  domestic  life.  3.  Upanishads 
(philosophy).  4.  "Sutras"  (proverbs).  5.  Epic  (poems).  6.  Pura- 
nas  (for  women).  7.  Tantras.  The  Sanskrit  language  is  sacred. — 
n-26.     B-vol.  1-89-138;  11-396.  J-54. 

BUDDHISM.  The  Pali  language  in  which  the  "Tripataka,"  is 
written,  is  a  dead  language,  as  is  the  Latin  of  the  Catholic  church. 
The  Tripataka  consists  of  Buddha's  sermons,  his  moral  teaching  and 
philosophy.  Tibetan  Buddhist  books  differ  considerably. — D-126-130. 
F-114.    G-352. 

TAOISM.  The  preserved  writings  of  Lao-tsze  are  called  "The 
Canon  of  Reason  and  Virtue."  It  equals  less  than  half  of  Mark's 
Gospel.  A  later  Taoist  book  is  "The  Book  of  Rewards  and  Punish- 
ments." It  is  widely  read.  The  former  is  used  but  very  little. — k-57. 
n-26.     B-vol.  1-89-138;   11-396.     J-54. 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  Confucian  teachings  are  divided  into  two 
groups:  the  "Five  Classics,"  and  the  "Four  Books."  Some  of  these 
books  are: — "Lun-Yu,"  Confucian  Analects;  "Tahioh,"  great  learn- 
ing; "Chung  Yung,"  doctrine  of  the  mean;  "Yeh  King,"  the  book 
of  changes;  "She  King,"  the  book  of  odes;  "Shoo  King,"  the  book 
of  history.— j -46.     k-63.     F-190. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  "Avesta  "  contains  twenty-one  books,  and  is 
said  to  have  been  originally  written  upon  12,000  cowhides.  Now  it  is 
one-tenth  the  size  of  the  Bible,  as  many  of  the  writings  have  been 
lost.  (See  Parsee  "Sacred  Writings.")— B-vol.  1-178,  187-208;  II- 
395.    G-381.    0-119. 

PARSEEISM.  "Avesta"  consists  of  hymns  and  sermons  of 
Zoroaster  with  methods  and  instructions  for  worship.  One  section 
gives  a  law  against  the  demons.  They  acknowledge  their  sacred 
books  are  not  complete. 

"I  have  one  passion ;  it  is  He,  He  alone."— Count  ZInzendorf. 

SHINTOISM.  Kojiki  is  a  "Record  of  Antiquities,"  or  a  collection 
of  oral  traditions  reduced  to  writing,  A.  D.  712.  Nihonge,  or  "Chron- 
icles of  Japan,"  were  composed  A.  D.  720.  Engishike  is  the  "Book  of 
Ceremonial  Law,"  A.  D.  927.— b- 105.    F-673. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  "The  Koran,"  smaller  than  our  New  Testa- 
ment, has  no  chronological  order.  It  is  never  touched  with  unwashed 
hands,  carried  below  the  waist  or  laid  upon  the  floor.  They  declare 
it  will  not  burn.  Arabic  language  in  which  it  is  written,  is  sacred. 
— u-186.  B-vol.  11-260,  381.  D-28-33.  F-489-491.  G-236.  J-241. 
L-19,  25-30-34.    Q-62. 


TEMPLES  AND  SHRINES. 

CHRISTIANITY.  In  the  Old  Testament,  the  temple  stood  as  a 
type  of  Christ.  In  its  inner  sanetuarj-,  God  manifested  His  presence. 
In  the  New  Testament,  God  has  changed  the  place  of  His  abode  to 
the  liearts  of  His  children.  ''Ye  are  the  temple  of  the  livinsr  God." 
—2  Cor.  6:10.  ^ 

BRAHMANISM  has  a  multitude  of  temples,  but  no  congrega- 
tional worship.  Spiritual  fellowship  in  prayer,  song  and  testimony 
in  a  house  set  apart  for  public  Avorship  is  quite  unheard  of  among 
the  heathen.  Temples  grew  out  of  the  increasing  population  and  the 
popularity  of  certain  gods,  but  the  idea  of  public,  social  worship 
never  developed. 

HINDUISM  has  many  temples,  shrines  and  sacred  resorts.  What 
Jerusalem  is  to  the  Jew,  so  is  Benares  to  the  Hindu.  Their  idols, 
symbols,  sacred  wells,  springs,  and  pools  are  legion.  The  temples 
number  2,000.     The  city  contains  500,000  idols. 

BUDDHIST  temples  are  usually  located  in  picturesque  places  and 
have  generous  courts  and  capacious  buildings.  Thev  are  believed  to 
be  the  dwelling  place  of  spirits.  Priests  and  often 'monks  and  nuns 
live  in  the  temples  or  near  by.  Many  wealthy  people  build  temples 
or  pagodas  as  a  work  ol  merit. 

TAOISM.  A  common  saying  among  Chinese  is  that  the  more 
temples  a  village  has,  the  poorer  the  people  are,  and  the  worse  their 
morals.  The  larger  temples  are  built  by  subscription;  the  donors' 
names  and  gifts,  fictitiously  enlarged,  are  conspicuously  posted. 
Sometimes  funds  are  secured  by  special  assessments  on  the  land  of 
the  villagers. 

^  CONFUCIANISM.  Confucian  temples  are  richly  ornamented 
within,  the  floor  is  paved  and  the  walls  contain  landscape  paintings 
in  the  best  style  of  Chinese  art.  These  exist  in  every  part  of  the 
empire  and  in  them  the  mandarins  perform  ceremonies  in  honor  of 
Confucius,  in  the  second  and  eighth  months  of  each  year. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  Herodotus,  the  "father  of  history,"  wrote: 
"It  is  not  customary  for  them  (Persians)  to  have  idols  made,  temples 
built,  and  altars  erected;  they  even  upbraid  witli  folly  those  who  do 
so."  ^  The  persecutions  of  later  years  confirmed  this  practice  which 
is  still  seen  in  the  plainness  of  the  Parsee  temples. 

THE  PARSEE  temples  are  small,  simple  buildings  containing 
neither  idols  nor  otlier  sacred  objects,  except  the  ever-burning  sacred 
fire.  The  peculiarities  of  Parsoeism,  around  which  cluster  tlieir  re- 
ligious ceremonies,  do  not  foster  the  erection  of  large  places  of 
worship. 

SHINTOISM.  The  Shinto  places  of  worship  are  called  "shrines." 
They  have  two  compartments:  one  containing  the  altar  before  which 
the  people  worship,  and  another  inner  room  containing  the  mirror. 
The  wood  is  never  painted,  indicating  natural  purity.  The  roof  is 
thatched  and  the  interior  destitute  of  furniture.— J -28,  37. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  Tlie  typical  mosque  is  a  dome-covered 
building  with  a  court  yard  surrounded  by  colonnades.  :Minarets  rise 
above  it  from  which  the  muezzin  calls 'the  faithful  to  prayer  five 
times  a  day.    The  pulpit  end  of  the  interior  faces  Mecca. 

30 


WORSHIP. 

CHRISTIANITY.  Though  Christians  worship  God  directly 
through  Christ,  yet  they  are  exhorted  not  to  forsake  the  assembling 
of  themselves  together  for  public  worship  and  fellowship,  and  are 
further  taught  that  all  who  worship  God  must  worship  Him  in  spirit 
and  in  truth. 

BRAHMANISM.  Worship  is  mostly  individual.  Pilgrims  prob- 
ably number  millions.  Prayer  or  a  brief  ceremony  makes  up  the  ser- 
vice. It  requires  over  100  ceremonies  to  go  through  the  Benares 
temples.  Christianity  has  everywhere  caused  the  heathen  to  have 
some  congregational   services. — r-132.     F-297.     G-340. 

HINDUISM.  It  is  impossible  to  give  a  tithe  of  the  ceremonies 
and  prayers  offered  to  trees,  cows,  tools  and  gods,  or  the  perform- 
ances in  dressing  the  idols  and  taking  them  to  ride  on  a  god-car. 
Thousands  gather  to  bathe  at  some  river  or  sea  on  holidays.  Ninety 
per  cent  of  the  worship  is  through  fear.— n-116,  127.  r-131,  137,  152. 
s-132.     v-159-178.     E-128. 

BUDDHISM.  Worship  is  offered  three  times  a  day  over  Buddha's 
relics  with  an  offering  of  flowers  and  perfumes  and  accompanied  by 
music.  Sins  are  publicly  confessed  at  the  new  and  full  moon.  The 
laity  visit  the  temple  for  confession  and  to  hear  the  sacred  book 
read.    At  times  of  pestilence  people  come  for  worship. — 1-176. 

TAOISM.  Prayers  may  be  said  privately,  but  certain  ceremonies, 
which  are  absolutely  necessary,  can  be  performed  only  by  the  priests 
who  shut  up  the  kingdom  to  themselves  that  they  may  be  enriched 
by  the  fees  of  the  helpless  worshipers. — J- 174. 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  service  of  the  Confucianist  is  individual, 
not  collective,  and  is  largely  performed  in  connection  with  his  wor- 
ship before  the  ancestral  tablet  in  his  home.  No  public  spiritual 
teaching  is  given.— c-366.  d-59.  i-187,  190.  j-53.  k-G7.  m-33.  D-G2, 
82.    H-18.    J-192. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  Worshipers  go  to  the  fire  temple  whenever 
they  choose  and  offer  prayers  as  long  as  they  choose,  as  is  practiced 
by  the  Catholics  in  their  churches.  The  priests'  service  begins  at  mid- 
night, when  evil  spirits  exercise  their  highest  power. — B-vol.  11-11. 
H-128. 

PARSEEISM.  There  are  no  regular  temple  services  where  the 
people  are  given  spiritual  instruction  but  there  are  special  occasions 
when  the  people  assemble  at  the  temple  where  prayers  are  repeated. 
— r-59.  F-575. 

SHINTOISM.  Priests  bathe  before  service  and  wear  paper  over 
the  mouth  while  presenting  offerings.  Every  worshiper  must  wash 
his  hands  before  approaching  the  god.  In  the  morning  they  go  out 
and  bow  their  heads  and  clap  their  hands  before  the  rising  sun. — a-43. 
b-105,  142.    F-G73.    J-28,  34. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  Friday  is  the  day  of  worship  when  the 
men  gather  at  the  mosques  for  prayer.  Mosques  are  always  open 
and  are  frequented  by  worshipers.  Once  a  week,  dervishes  whirl  in 
praise  before  Allah  until  exhausted.— n- 11 7.     r-92-94.     F-490. 

The  fact  that  you  do  not  live  up  to  the  light  you  have  is  a  proof  that 
the  heathen  cannot  live  up  to  their  iight. 

31 


THE  PRIESTHOOD. 

CHRISTIANITY.  Under  the  Old  Testament  covenant,  priests 
were  ordained  for  service  under  the  law,  but  under  the  New  Testa- 
ment covenant  the  condition  is  stated  in  1  Pet.  2:5:  "Ye,  also,  as 
lively  stones,  are  built  up  a  spiritual  house,  an  holy  priesthood,  to 
offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices,  acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ." 

THE  BRAHMANS  are  a  race  of  priests  and  their  conceit  and  intel- 
lectual pride  is  seldom  e(iualled.  They  readily  accept  the  worship  of 
Hindus,  who  call  them  their  gods.  Three  million  Brahmans  are  said 
to  be  ascetics.— s-131.     E-28,  37-38.     F-294. 

HINDUISM.  The  priests  of  Hinduism  are  among  the  most  de- 
graded in  the  world  and  they  preach  the  most  immoral  teaching. 
Nothing  is  too  base  for  them,  if  it  will  help  them  weave  more  tightly 
their  coils  around  their  victims. — A- 33 1-333. 

BUDDHISM.  The  priests  of  Buddhism  are  exceedingly  corrupt. 
The  Japanese  papers  openly  condemned  them  for  immorality.  They, 
like  the  Jesuit  priests,  take  the  vow  of  povertv,  chastity  and  obe- 
dience.—a-47.    d-C9.    f-129.    k-71.    i-70.    A-326,  329, 334.  G-28.  J-150. 

TAOISM.  Exorcism  and  witchcraft  are  the  arts  with  which  the 
Taoist  priests  hold  in  subjection  the  people  of  China.  Their  pope 
has  in  his  palace  rows  of  sealed  jars  containing  evil  spirits  that  ne  is 
said  to  have  imprisoned. 

Christians  sometimes  feel  that  when  prosperity  favors  them,  Satan  is 
leaving  tliem  alone  and  God  is  blessing  tliem.    It  may  be  vice  versa. 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  emperor  is  the  sole  priest  of  Confucian- 
ism and  offers  sacrifice  once  a  year,  for  himself  and  his  people.  Each 
year  he  "plows  the  first  furrow  of  spring,"  in  honor  of  the  god  of 
agriculture. — D-62. 

If  Jesus  had  done  the  same  for  yon  that  you  have  done  for  the 
heatlien,   what  would  be  your  condition  today? 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  The  high  priest  kept  the  holy  fire  always 
burning  in  liis  home  from  which  all  Parsees  took  a  flame  to  light  the 
altar  fires  in  their  homes.  It  was  necessary  that  he  should  know  the 
law  by  heart. 

"Emotion  is  no  substitute  for  action."— Pilkington. 

PARSEEISM.  The  priesthood  is  hereditary.  The  dastoor  or 
priest  has  many  duties.  He  confirms  youth  at  fifteen  in  the  Parsee 
faith  and  puts  on  them  the  sacred  shirt  and  string.  He  prays  over 
the  dying  and  the  dead. — F-1751. 

"My   heart   burns   for   the   deliverance  of  Africa."— Mackay. 

SHINTO  priests  may  marry.  They  may  leave  the  priesthood. 
Their  service  is  chieUy  the  recital  of  a  ritual,  ofi'ering  rice,  beer,  salt 
and  fruits,  accompanied  by  shrill  mournful  music  from  fiutes. — a-43. 
A-328.    F-G73. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  There  are  no  priests,  as  they  do  not  believe 
in  sacrifice  for  sin.  They  have  teachers  who  are  the  most  liigoted 
of  all  Mohammedans.  Their  education  is  conthuMl  to  tlie  "Koran." 
"No  crime  is  to  be  charged  on  the  prophet." — "Koran"  33:38. — A-335. 

If  you  give  nothing  to  missions,  docs  it  not  mean  that  you  are  voting 
that  all  efforts  to  save  the  lieuihcu  shall  be  given  up  at  once? 


PROPHETS. 

CHRISTIANITY.  A  prophet  was  a  person  whom  God  chose  and 
endued  to  be  His  representative  and  to  announce  His  message  to 
whomsoever  He  desired  to  send  him.  His  message  often  contained 
warnings  of  divine  judgment  coupled  with  an  unfolding  of  future 
events. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  ancient  Vedic  hymns  frequently  speak  of 
the  Kavis,  or  seers,  who  were  believed  to  possess  divine  revelation 
and  secret  wisdom.  They  were  enabled  to  secure  this  wisdom  by 
drinking  the  delicious  but  intoxicating  soma  juice  and  were  consulted 
by  those  wishing  guidance. 

HINDUISM.  The  Hindu  mind  is  so  trained  in  superstition  that 
a  priest  has  but  to  play  upon  that  mental  chord  to  gain  any  conces- 
sion he  desires.  When  once  he  gains  the  reputation  of  a  seer,  his 
fame  and  success  are  assured.  Five  classes  of  men  have  been  deified: 
— noted  kings,  warriors,  Brahmans,  saints  and  sages. 

BUDDHISM.  Gautama  was  so  occupied  with  exposing  and  de- 
nouncing the  conduct  of  the  Brahmans,  and  with  teaching  the  solu- 
tion of  the  difficult  problem  of  how  one  should  live,  that  prophecy 
did  not  seem  to  find  a  place  in  his  thought. 

TAOISM  developed  alchemists  and  philosophers  who  offered  wis- 
dom and  length  of  life  through  drinking  their  elixir  of  immortality, 
but  its  system  has  become  so  debased  that  it  cannot  now  produce 
men  who  aspire  to  anything  above  the  conjurer's  tricks.  Its  com- 
munications are  largely  with  evil  spirits. 

CONFUCIUS  did  not  claim  prophetic  ability.  He  said  the  future 
could  be  foretold  only  as  it  followed  the  past,  1.  e.,  his  rule  for 
future  success  was,  to  follow  what  had  been  a  success  with  the 
fathers.  He,  however,  claimed  wisdom  intuitively,  saying:  "Tlie 
sage  knows  things  from  birth."  Having  therefore  no  revelation  to 
use  in  urging  on  his  teachings,  he  could  appeal  only  to  man's  in- 
stincts.— J -88. 

ZOROASTRIANISM:  "Every  thousandth  year  Ormuzd  shall  send 
a  new  prophet.  He  dared  not  send  his  great  prophet  because 
Ahriman  was  too  strong.  Nevertheless  Zoroaster  was  born  and 
Ormuzd  then  protected  him  and  in  his  thirteenth  year  taught  him 
his  commandments.  At  the  end,  the  great  prophet  Sosyosh  will 
awaken  the  dead  and  hold  the  last  judgment." 

THE  PARSEES  believe  that  three  great  prophets  will  appear  be- 
fore the  end  of  the  world.  They  will  perpetuate  life,  check  the  in- 
fluence of  the  devil  and  restore  truth  and  the  Zoroastrian  religion. 
One  of  these  will  bring  the  new  Parsee  Bible  which  has  hitherto 
been  unknown. 

SHINTOISM  began  with  simple  nature  worship  without  any 
particular  acquaintance  of  deities,  except  deified  heroes.  Tlie  mikado 
was  a  direct  lineal  descendant  of  the  sun-goddess.  The  people 
obe3'ed  him  as  one  possessing  divine  right,  and  the  thought  of 
prophecy  was  outside  the  realm  of  their  narrow  minds. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  Mohammed  is  said  to  have  taught  that 
there  were  144,000  prophets  and  315  apostles.  Adam,  Noah,  Abra- 
ham, Moses,  Jesus  and  Mohammed  are  the  major  prophets.  There 
were  22  minor  prophets  among  whom  were  Balaam,  Islimael  and 
Alexander  the  Great.  The  iman  is,  for  the  Moslem,  a  supernatural 
revealer  or  saviour. — J-242.    L-34-35,  107. 

3  33 


MONKS  AND  NUNS. 

CHRISTIANITY.  The  so-called  religious  retreats  for  men  and 
women  are  only  found  in  sects  which  distort  the  free  grace  of  the 
Gospel  and  misinterpret  the  responsibility  of  every  believer  to  work 
out  his  part  of  "tlie  Great  Commission." 

BRAHMANISM  stands  in  the  front  ranks  of  the  world's  faiths 
which  produce  religious  idlers.  The  iron  grip  which  Brahmans  have 
on  the  people,  by  virtue  of  their  belonging  to  the  highest  caste, 
makes  it  possible  for  them  to  secure  public  charities  quite  uni- 
versally.    They  swarm  over  India  like  a  horde  of  parasites. 

HINDUISM  betrays  its  inner  self  in  its  practice  of  marrying  girls 
to  its  gods  which  is  done  in  reality,  for  licentious  purposes.  Tlioy 
live  in  the  temples  or  houses  belonging  thereto  under  the  guise  of 
nuns.  It  is  generally  admitted  that  in  all  ascetic  practices  the 
motive  is  some  selfish  gain. 

BUDDHISTS.  In  China,  fugitives  from  justice  may  escape  pun- 
ishment by  taking  priestly  vows.  Bankrupts  repudiate  their  debts 
by  entering  monasteries.  Both  men  and  women  are  eligible.  Upon 
them,  celibacy  is  enjoined,  and  the  rules  of  the  order  are  so  exacting 
that  they  produce  morbidness.  A  few  nunneries  exist  under  the 
patronage  of  the  Goddess  of  Mercy.  Every  Siamese  man  is  ex- 
pected to  spend  part  of  his  life  in  a  monastery. — E-50.  J- 115.  K-103. 
TAOISM.  Terrible  results  sometimes  follow  the  practice  of 
asceticism.  Monks  who  shut  themselves  in  tiny  cells  and  allow 
themselves  but  little  food  often  become  insane  from  their  morbid 
meditations.  Strange  to  say,  however,  their  insanity  is  an  evidence 
to  many  that  they  have  secured  communication  with  the  spirit  world 
and  are  possessed  of  superior  wisdom  and  power. 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  character  of  this  system  is  such  that 
asceticism  of  the  solitaire  kind,  for  the  purifying  of  the  carnal 
passions  is  not  so  popular  as  in  other  religions.  Nunneries  are 
erected  along  the  way  to  the  sacred  shrines,  where  nuns  teach  the 
pilgrims  and,  in  turn,  often  receive  large  amounts  of  money. 

ZOROASTRIANISM  formerly  had  an  hereditary  priesthood.  This 
prevented  young  men  of  other  families  from  aspiring  to  that  sacred 
ollice  and  as  there  was  no  particular  stress  laid  upon  the  merit-mak- 
ing value  of  an  ascetic  life  the  monks  were  few  in  number. 

PARSEEISM.  The  monks  of  Parsceism  found  in  Persia  are  sim- 
ilar to  the  dervishes  of  Mohammedanism,  though  much  cleaner  in 
person  and  dress,  because  of  which  they  loudly  boast.  They  travel 
about,  dressed  in  blue  garments,  selling  rings  which  they  have  made, 
and  begging  a  little  from  sympathetic  people. 

SHINTOISM.  There  arc  virgin  priestesses,  as  well  as  priests, 
who  minister  at  the  shrines.  Like  most  heathen  cults,  Shintoism 
has  absorbed  not  a  few  of  its  practices  from  other  systems.  Bud- 
dhism is  responsible  for  much  of  the  ascetic  life  found  among  the 
Shintoists  of  Japan. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  The  Arabs'  nearest  approach  to  monks 
is  seen  in  the  dervishes  who  constitute  orders  of  religious  mendi- 
cants. TIh'V  are  strolling  story-tellers  in  Persia,  while  in  Egypt 
thov  may  be  seen  doing  the  sacred  dance.  Those  who  travel  about 
often  go  in  rags  and  with  disheveled  hair,  taking  alms  for  their 
support. 

34 


BEGGING  CLASSES. 

CHRISTIANITY.  Begging  as  a  means  of  livelihood  is  forbidden. 
Paul  wrote:  "If  any  would  not  work,  neither  should  he  eat." — 2 
Thess.  3:10.  "Six  days  shalt  thou  labor."— Ex.  20:9.  "\Miatsoever 
thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might." — Eccl.  9:10. 

BRAHMANISM.  India  is  a  land  of  beggars.  Religion,  poverty 
and  a  passion  for  jewelry  and  big  weddings,  keep  millions  of  people 
on  the  verge  of  starvation.  Bishop  Thoburn  states  that  60,000,000 
people  constantly  suffer  hunger  and  fall  easy  victims  in  times  of 
drought  and  famine. 

HINDUISM.  While  many  beg  because  of  poverty,  the  real  beg- 
gars are  the  religious  mendicants.  These  fakirs  adopt  this  easy 
life  of  idleness,  and  under  the  guise  of  being  holy  men  play  upon 
the  feelings  and  fears  of  pilgrims  and  sympathizers.  There  are  said 
to  be  4,000,000  in  India.  Rudra  is  the  god  of  the  beggars,  as  he  is 
also  of  thieves,  brigands,  hunters  and  fakirs. 

BUDDHISM.  The  priests  beg  their  living  from  door  to  door. 
They  also  beg  for  the  erection  of  temples.  False  priests,  mendi- 
cants and  wizards  exploit  the  people  and  live  by  alms.  Twenty 
thousand  are  said  to  live  in  Bankok,  Siam,  alone.  Gautama  practiced 
and  endorsed  begging,  which  has  resulted  in  the  organizing  of  a  large 
number  of  "orders"  of  beggars,  whose  style  and  symbol  includes 
everything  from  public  beggars  to  self -imprisoned  monks. — J- 150. 

TAOISM.  Beggars  seem  to  swarm  in  China.  In  cities  they  are 
organized  into  powerful  guilds,  each  beggar  being  given  a  district 
which  he  is  to  work.  If  a  merchant  refuses  to  give  when  the  beg- 
gar calls,  he  may  soon  find  several  about  his  door  who  make  it  so 
unpleasant  that  he  is  compelled  to  surrender  and  give  to  them  all. 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  beggar  is  one  of  China's  parasites.  Con- 
fucianism has  promulgated  ancestral  worship  which  has  cost  China 
hundreds  of  millions  of  dollars.  Families  cannot  leave  the  graves 
of  their  ancestors,  and  thus  large  tracts  of  China  are  left  undevel- 
oped while  family  relatives  increase  to  the  overcrowding  of  the  al- 
ready inhabited  portions, 

ZOROASTER  poured  contempt  upon  the  man  who  would  not 
work,  but  sought  his  food  from  house  to  house.  He  especially  ex- 
alted agriculture, — "Whoever  cultivates  barley,  cultivates  agricul- 
ture, promotes  the  Mazdayasnian  religion  by  a  hundred  resistances 
(against  the  demons),  a  thousand  offerings,  ten  thousand  prayer- 
readings."  "When  barley  occurs,  then  the  demons  hiss, — when  flour 
occurs,  the  demons  flee." 

PARSEEISM.  It  is  said:  "A  Parsee  is  never  seen  begging,  as 
the  Parsee  community  always  attends  to  the  wants  of  its  own  poor 
and  suffers  no  member  of  its  race  to  become  a  public  burden."  The 
average  amount  of  wealth  in  India  is  highest  among  Parsees. 

SHINTOISM.  While  there  are  deserving  poor  who  beg,  yet  the 
mo'st  commonly  seen  are  the  religious  mendicants,  some  of  whom 
are  priests  or  monks,  while  others  are  pilgrims  who  aspire  to  visit 
the  noted  shrines  and  beg  their  way  from  place  to  place.  These  beg- 
gars stand  before  the  villager's  door  and  sing  songs  for  alms. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  The  classes  that  might  be  called  the 
"order"  of  beggars  are  the  dervishes.  They  belong  to  various  orders 
from  the  priests  to  the  musicians  and  tlie  snake  charmers.  They  are 
often  quite  insolent  in  their  demands,  declaring  they  are  related  to 
some  great  family  and  will  curse  the  people  who  do  not  give. 

35 


PILGRIMAGES. 

CHRISTIANITY.  Catholics  have  always  had  shrines  containing 
sacred  relics  to  which  thousands  of  pilgrims  have  flocked,  affording 
considerable  gain  to  the  priests  in  charge  and  none  to  tlic  pilgrims, 
Protestants  find  all  those  blessings  in  Christ  which  Catholics  are 
exhorted  to  seek  in  those  disappointing  pilgrimages. 

BRAHMANISM.  Bishop  Thoburn  gives  the  total  number  of  de- 
votees in  India  as  being  four  million.  JSIost  of  these  devote  a  part 
of  their  time  to  visiting  the  sacred  rivers  and  temples.  Benares  is 
the  holy  city  of  the  Brahmans  and  is  believed  to  be  80,000  steps 
nearer  heaven  than  any  other  city  on  earth.  It  requires  six  years 
to  make  a  complete  pilgrimage  of  the  river  Ganges. 

HINDUS.  Pilgrimages  among  Hindus  are  popular  and  the  holy 
places  and  temples  are  very  numerous.  Benares,  Ramesvara,  Alla- 
habad, Mutra,  Tanjore,  Madura,  Tinnevelle,  Ellora  are  among  the 
principal  pilgrim  cities.  The  Ganges  and  Jumna  are  sacred  rivers. 
Teeming  thousands  swarm  to  these  places,  many  dying  from  fatigue, 
hunger  or  disease. 

BUDDHISTS.  Gautama  began  his  religious  life  as  a  pilgrim.  He 
left  all,  spent  six  years  in  the  desert  agonizing  for  revelations.  Pil- 
grimages have  ever  since  been  one  of  the  fundamental  features  of 
Buddhism.  Shrines  and  relics  are  used  as  in  the  Catholic  church. 
In  China  there  are  five  sacred  mountains  visited  by  pilgrims. 

TAOISM.  Pilgrimages  are  made  to  the  Lunghu  ^Mountains  in 
Kiangsi  where  the  Taoist  hierarch  lives  who  is  believed  to  have  con- 
trol of  demons.  Pilgrims  are  there  shown  long  rows  of  sealed  jars, 
containing  spirits  of  evil,  imprisoned  by  the  arch-magician,  who  cap- 
tured them  at  the  request  of  persons  who  have  suffered  from  them. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Pilgrimages  are  made  to  the  most  important 
of  the  1,500  temples  to  Confucius;  the  greatest,  located  in  Shantung, 
possesses  much  beauty.  Poor  people  are  enabled  to  visit  this,  or 
other  sacred  places,  by  a  number  forming  a  society  to  which  each 
member  pays  a  certain  amount  annually,  thus  enabling  one  member 
to  go  each  year. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  There  seems  to  be  no  indication  that 
Zoroaster  advocated  pilgrimages.  He  indicated  that  the  five  most 
pleasing  spots  on  earth  are,  "the  fire  temples,  the  houses  of  pious 
Zoroastrians,  cultivated  lands,  stables,  and  pastures." 

THE  PARSEES  reside  mostly  in  Bombay  and  have  no  special 
places  to  which  they  can  go  in  India  on  holy  pilgrimages.  However, 
they  may  be  seen  going  away  to  the  burning  hikes,  somewhere  by 
the  Caspian  Sea,  wliere  they  believe  the  god  of  fire  has  his  home. 
They  sometimes  are  seen  at  other  pilgrim  resorts  in  India. 

SHINTOISM.  Pilgrimages  to  holy  spots,  especially  "high  places," 
are  important  in  Shinto.  Visitors  to  the  great  shrine  at  Kizuki, 
Japan,  number  250,000  annually.  Over  10,000  pilgrims  climb  Mt. 
Fuji  every  summer.  The  total  munbcr  who  make  pilgrimages  to  the 
shrine  of  Ise  is  said  to  be  half  a  million  annually.  ''They  are  really 
picnic  parties  flavored  with  piety." 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  From  00,000  to  90,000  pilgrims  reach  Mecca 
annually  at  the  time  of  Hajj.  Every  INIoslem  wishes  to  make  this 
visit  once  in  his  lifetime.  There  he  visits  the  sacred  mosque,  kisses 
the  black  stone,  drinks  sacred  water,  prays,  pelts  Satan  and  then  re- 
turns a  "rock-ribbed  fanatic."  Before  going,  each  pilgrim  endeavors 
to  pay  all  his  debts  so  he  can  be  clean  before  Allah. — J-249.    L-90. 

36 


ASCETICISM. 

CHRISTIANITY,  as  it  is  found  in  the  Word  of  God,  has  no 
cloister  except  its  closet  for  prayer.  It  warns  its  followers  against 
hiding  their  light  as  under  a  bushel  and  commissions  them  to  go 
into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  most  wicked  men  can  acquire  power  over 
gods  and  men  by  devout  asceticism.  Thus,  under  Brahmanism,  vast 
power  is  gained  without  morality.  An  ascetic,  who  exhibits  his 
sufferings,  gains  great  power  among  the  people  of  his  faith. 

HINDUISM  teaches  that  the  source  of  corruption  is  in  the  blood 
and  that  if  it  can  be  dried  up  the  passions  will  be  subdued.  Tens 
of  thousands  cease  all  labor  and  give  themselves  to  mortification 
of  the  flesh  and  sometimes  self-inflicted  tortures.  _  Vows  of  silence 
are  taken.  An  arm  is  sometimes  held  in  one  position  until  it  be- 
comes rigid. 

BUDDHISTS.  Asceticism  finds  a  large  place  in  Buddhism  which 
requires  separation  from  the  world  and  annihilation  of  self  through 
repression  of  all  desire.  The  action  of  each  sense  must  be  watched 
and  crushed.  "Let  the  householder  leave  home,  clad  in  a  yellow 
robe,  and  wander  alone  like  a  rhinoceros."  Gautama,  the  founder, 
was  an  ascetic  until  his  death,  though  he  did  not  believe  in  self- 
torture.— B-vol.  11-404.     J- 101. 

TAOISM.  Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  unite  Taoism  and 
Buddhism,  but  the  Taoists  have  always  refused  to  adopt  the  celibacy 
of  the  Buddhists.  The  founder  of  Taoism  spent  his  life  as  an  ascetic 
and  taught  that  man  can  best  be  purified  by  habitual  silence  and 
meditation. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Ancestral  worship  antagonized  asqeticism. 
Calamities,  however,  often  cause  people  to  enter  seclusion  for  a 
time.  Confucianism  does  not  arouse  the  ascetic  spirit  as  do  many 
other  religious.  It  has  no  horde  of  priests  whose  lives  attract  young 
men  toward  religion  and  its  teachings  deal  with  active  life  rather 
than  that  of  monastic  seclusion. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  The  founder  of  this  system  was  evidently 
a  thoughtful  person  of  much  insight  into  human  nature  and  a  practi- 
cal view  of  affairs.  This,  coupled  with  the  fact  that  it  was  confined 
to  a  few  followers  in  Persia  did  not  encourage  asceticism,  though  it 
recognized  the  practice. 

PARSEEISM  does  not  tend  to  asceticism.  The  Parsees  are  of  a 
practical  turn  of  mind  and  are  remarkably  successful  in  business, 
ship-building,  constructing  railroads,  etc.  Their  number  is  too 
small  and  their  business  sagacity  too  keen,  to  futnish  many  idlers 
to  become  monks.  Their  priesthood  being  hereditary  furnishes  no 
bait  tor  monastic  living. 

SHINTOISM  never  had  the  ascetic  spirit  until  Buddhism  was 
introduced  into  Japan,  and  its  priests  were  compelled  to  adopt  it 
to  save  themselves  and  their  system.  Shintoism  was  hero  worship 
rather  than  the  idolizing  of  begging  priests.  One  of  man's  highest 
duties  was  to  protect  his  emperor.  The  life  of  an  ascetic  was  not 
considered  of  much  practical  value. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  Asceticism  seems  to  have  as  small  a  place 
in  Mohammedanism  as  in  any  non-Christian  religion.  It  partakes 
largely  of  pilgrimages  to  Mecca  and  Medina,  and  strict  observance 
of  ceremonial  customs. 

37 


MERIT-MAKING. 

CHRISTIANITY  acknowledges  but  one  source  of  merit  and  that 
is  in  Christ.  After  a  person  has  been  born  again,  and  made  a  new 
creation  in  Christ  Jesus,  there  is  the  promise  of  a  reward  for  his 
service,  if  faithfully  done  for  the  glory  of  God. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  millions  of  Brahmans  who  live  ascetic  lives 
in  India  are  influenced  to  do  so  largely  from  the  standpoint  of 
merit,  although  other  motives  are  apparent  and  are  more  noticeable 
to  the  traveler.  The  practices  in  self-denial  are  frequently  those 
calculated  to  appeal  to  the  sjnupathy  of  their  friends  and  admirers. 

HINDUISM.  It  is  considered  a  pious  act  in  India  to  build  a 
temple,  to  dig  a  tank  for  water,  or  to  plant  a  tree  by  the  roadside. 
Some  take  the  "vow  of  silence"  to  minimize  the  number  of  sins  com- 
mitted; others  measure  their  length  on  the  ground,  over  and  over, 
for  miles  to  a  temple,  to  gain  the  favor  of  some  god  and  to  prepare 
the  way  for  the  answer  of  the  prayer  they  expect  to  offer. — J-65. 

BUDDHISM.  One  of  the  teachings  of  this  religion  is:  "By  one- 
self the  evil  is  done,  by  oneself  one  suffers,  by  oneself  evil  is  left 
undone,  by  oneself  one  is  purified.  Purity  and  impurity  belong  to 
oneself;  no  one  can  purify  another."  Asceticism  and  celibacy  are 
essential  to  salvation.  Great  merit  is  obtained,  simply  by  repeating 
the  name  of  Buddha  many  times,  and  by  charity. — J-11,  120,  126. 

TAOISM.  Rich  men  hire  servants  to  go  about  the  city  and 
gather  up  pieces  of  paper  containing  printing.  These  are  burned  be- 
fore the  god  in  the  temple  of  literature  and  give  great  merit.  Some 
keep  merit  account  books  in  which  they  credit  themselves  with  every 
good  act,  and  charge  each  bad  act  against  themselves.  This  kind  of 
work  atones  for  all  manner  of  evil. 

CONFUCIANISM  has  for  its  ideal  virtue  the  simple  doing  of  one's 
duty.  Chinese  beggars  appeal  for  alms  by  saying:  "Do  a  good  ac- 
tion," or  "Act  virtuously,  that  you  may  obtain  sons  and  grandsons." 
These  views  are,  however,  the  result  of  the  teaching  of  Buddhism 
rather  than  Confucianism. 

ZOROASTRIANISM  says:  "Merit  for  both  good  and  bad  deeds 
increase  with  time  as  does  money  put  out  at  interest."  Thus,  a 
meritorious  deed  in  youth  is  more  effective  than  the  same  deed  in 
old  age.  Destiny  of  all  is  decided  by  the  weight  of  deeds,  the  slight- 
est over-balance,  eitlior  good  or  bad,  determining  the   future  abode. 

PARSEEISM  pictures  the  gods  as  bidding  for  gifts,  while  they 
promise  to  reward  the  givers  with  both  temporal  and  spiritual  things. 
Stress  is  laid  on  philanthropy,  righteous  living,  and  the  observance 
of  ceremonials  inculcated  by  the  Parsee  religion.  Between  heaven 
and  hell  is  the  "bridge  of  the  gatherer,"  over  which  the  soul  of  the 
pious  alone  can  pass,  while  the  wicked  fall  into  hell. 

SHINTOISM  having  no  moral  system  and  no  eschatology,  no  sin 
and  no  real  salvation,  naturally  has  no  place  for  merit-making.  Any 
practice  of  its  followers  along  the  line  of  penance  and  merit-making 
have  come  from  Buddhism,  the  influence  of  which  almost  shook  the 
skeleton  of  Shintoisni  to  pieces. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  lays  considerable  stress  on  the  merit  of  good 
works  in  spite  of  its  denial  of  man's  free  agency  and  its  strong 
claims  of  predestination.  Five  things  are  especially  meritorious: 
Confessing  the  creed,  prayer,  fasting,  legal  alms,  and  pilgrimages. 
"Every  good  act  done  shall  receive  from  ten  to  seven  hundred  re- 
wards'."—J -245,  248.     L-39-41. 

38 


PENANCE. 

CHRISTIANITY.  The  Romish  church  makes  much  of  penance. 
Protestantism  believes  that  everlasting  life  is  the  free  gift  of  God, 
and  that  we  are  not  saved  by  works,  but  by  unmerited  grace.  Pen- 
ance implies  that  Christ's  work  was  incomplete  for  a  full  salvation 
and  also  that  sinners  have  inherent  ability  to  earn  righteousness. 

BRAHMANISM.  In  the  "Bhagavat,"  it  is  said  that  Brahma,  by  a 
penitence  of  15,000  years,  created  the  universe.  A  sage  of  lower  caste 
became  a  Brahman  by  penance  in  spite  of  the  gods.  A  Brahman 
who  has  lost  caste  may  be  restored  by  taking  the  sacred  pill  composed 
of  the  five  parts  of  the  cow,  viz.,— milk,  curds,  butter,  dung  and 
urine.— B-vol.  1-131. 

HINDUISM.  Knowledge  alone  liberates  the  soul,  but  penance  is 
useful  to  insure  a  happy  transmigration  from  lower  to  higher  forma 
of  life.  Eating  improper  food,  receiving  a  present  from  a  wicked 
person,  etc.,  requires  penance.  Drinking  boiling  hot  whiskey  absolves 
if  it  scalds  the  body.— "INIanu."  R-398. 

BUDDHISM.  Buddha  practiced  penance  and  allowed  his  followers 
to  do  so.  Some  methods  were  to  go  naked,  to  have  loose  habits  in- 
stead of  being  neat,  to  lick  the  hands  clean  with  the  tongue  instead  of 
washing  them,  to  refuse  to  eat  anything  given  or  prepared,  and 
sometimes  to  wear  clothes  taken  from  a  corpse.  The  motive  was, 
perhaps,  more  often  that  of  self-abasement  than  penance  for  sin.  ^ 

TAOISM  teaches  that  rewards  and  punishments  all  come  in  this 
life.  Their  deeds  and  gifts  of  a  penitential  character  are  somewhat 
like  bribes  to  buy  otf  the  spirits,  for  they  reason  that  if  men  can 
be  bought,  why  cannot  the  gods.  In  fact,  the  whole  system,  as  prac- 
ticed by  Taoists,  has  for  its  aim  the  influencing  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  spirit  world  and  escaping  the  penalty  which  should  come  to 
them  for  conscious  wrong  doing. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Philanthropy  and  charity  are  the  means 
whereby  one's  evil  tendencies  may  be  overcome  and  self -mastered. 
The  motive  is  not  so  much  the  idea  of  penance  for  sins  committed, 
as  the  weeding  out  of  wrong  habits  and  the  cultivating  of  good 
ones,  with  the  hope  that,  in  the  end,  all  evil  will  be  eliminated. 

ZOROASTRIANISM  taught  that  good  deeds  would  overcome  evil 
ones.  If  a  person  had  done  wrong,  he  could  make  up  for  it  by  doing 
an  extra  number  of  good  deeds.  These,  when  placed  in  the  balances, 
would  outweigh  the  evil  ones  and  entitle  the  person  to  pass  to  the 
abode  of  the  righteous. 

PARSEEISM.  When  a  Parsee  commits  a  sin,  he  is  expected  to 
go  and  freely  confess  it  to  his  father  confessor,  the  priest,  and  to 
fulfill  whatever  penance  the  priest  enjoins,  which  often  may  con- 
sist in  killing  a  certain  number  of  vicious  animals  or  in  saying  a 
certain  number  of  prayers. 

SHINTOISM  had  no  moral  code  until  after  the  arrival  of  Bud- 
dhism in  Japan.  Modern  Shinto  writers  explain  this  by  declaring 
that  "originally  Japanese  nature  was  pure,  clean,  and  sinless,  pos- 
sessing no  evil  or  wrong."  They  admit  that  the  moral  code  is  nec- 
essary now  because  of  their  contact  with  surrounding  nations. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  Fatalism,  based  upon  tlie  inflexible  sov- 
ereignty of  a  god  who  irrevocably  foreordains  each  individual's  des- 
tin^^  has  warped  ISIohammedanism  almost  beyond  the  thought  of  for- 
o-iveness.  Nevertheless,  there  lingers  the  belief  that  a  life  full  of 
good  acts  will  be  rewarded. 

39 


SUPERSTITIONS. 

CHRISTIANITY  stronfjly  opposes  superstitions,  as  they  are  mere 
fancios  given  the  place  of  facts.  This  eliminates  faith  and  makes  life 
to  be  controlled  by  uncertainty,  \vhich  is  contrary  to  every  element  of 
Christianity. 

BRAHMANISM.  Their  particular  stress  is  to  "eat  correctly, 
drink  correctly  and  marr}'-  correctly,"  and  all  manner  of  evil  results 
mav  come  from  the  neglect  of  these  commands.  Thev  are  all  their 
lifetime  subject  to  bondage.— A-317.     B-vol.  11-179.     F-297-8. 

HINDUISM.  They  believe  there  are  8,400,000  human,  animal  and 
plant  lives  through  which  man  may  transmigrate.  Day  and  night 
they  live  in  fear  of  "ghosts,  omens,  signs,  the  evil  eye,  evil  days,  evil 
spirits,  devils  and  haunted  burning  grounds." — r-lGl-lG4.     A-310. 

BUDDHISM.  A  common  water  snake  is  believed  to  be  the  embod- 
iment of  the  god  of  the  floods,  so  when  the  rivers  overflow,  these 
snakes  are  sought  out  and  worshiped.  Even  Li  Hung  Chang  went  to 
a  temple  into  which  one  had  crawled  and  worshiped  it. — E-383.  i-19G- 
198.     1-173.     r-73.     A-315. 

TAOISM.  The  Chinese  superstitions  concerning  Feng-shi  are  the 
strongest  and  most  numerous  of  all.  In  fear  of  this  mysterious,  yet 
unknown  influence,  the}'  have  demolished  churches,  torn  up  railroad 
tracks  and  driven  foreigners  off  the  walls  of  the  cities  to  their  homes. 
— k-GO.  1-187-189,  223-239.  A-312-314.  F-727-9.  J-179.  lv-151,  159, 
161.    M-lOG-122. 

CONFUCIANISM.  A  merchant,  on  opening  a  new  store,  explodes 
a  quantity  of  fire-crackers  to  drive  away  evil  spirits  and  give  "good 
luck."— C-163. 

"I  will  place  no  value  on  anything  T  have  or  may  possess,  except  in 
relation  to  the  kingdom  of  Christ."— David  Livingstone. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  ^AOien  a  person  dies,  a  dog  is  brought  into 
the  room.  If  it  will  look  into  the  dead  person's  face,  it  is  a  good 
omen,  and  if  not,  it  is  a  sign  of  bad  luck.  The  dog  accompanies  the 
deceased  body  to  the  "tower  of  silence." 

A  PARSEE  on  sneezing,  snaps  his  thumb  and  finger  and  says,  "Go 
away,  devil;  go  off  where  you  belong."  On  lighting  a  lamp  or  a  fire, 
all  the  family  turn  toward  it,  clasp  hands  in  prayer,  and  say,  "Sa- 
hibji,"  "Salaam,"  a  term  of  greeting  between  friends. 

SHINTOISM.  A  mirror  is  often  carried  in  dark  woods  or  places 
where  si)irits  are  feared,  as  it  is  believed  the  mirror  will  frightrn 
them  away.  By  paying  a  sen  or  two,  to  priests  at  the  shrine,  you  can 
draw  a  lot  which  gives  good  or  bad  luck. — d-Gl.    F-G73.    J-39. 

"When  MOHAMMED'S  parents  were  married,"  it  is  said,  that  "200 
Koreish  girls  died  of  broken  hearts,  and  on  the  night  Mohammed  was 
born  all  the  sacred  fires  of  the  Parsees  went  out.  all  the  idols  in  the 
world  fell  over,  and  the  river  Tigris  overflowed  its  banks. — r-80. 
A-318.    Q-Gl. 

40 


SORCERY. 

CHRISTIANITY.  Everywhere  throughout  the  Word  of  God, 
sorcery  is  denounced  because  of  its  evil  character  and  alliance  with 
Satan.  Moses,  Samuel,  Isaiah,  Ezekiel,  Hosea,  Micah,  Malachi  and 
Paul  spoke  of  the  practice  of  sorcery  and  denounced  it.  King  Saul 
lost  his  life  partly  because  of  it. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  mantras  or  charms  used  by  Brahmans  in 
consecrating  idols  consist  of  passages  from  the  Vedas.  "The  gods 
are  subject  to  the  mantras  and  the  mantras  to  the  Brahmans."  Thus 
the  Brahmans  exert  magic  power  over  their  worshipers. 

HINDUISM.  The  wily  Brahman  priests,  with  the  mantra  as  his 
ready  tool,  plays  easily  on  the  spellbound  Hindus  whose  minds  are 
tortured  day  and  night  with  fear  from  tlie  myriads  of  superstitions, 
ghosts,  demons,  demigods  and  deified  saints  which  they  are  told 
haunt  their  pathway  and  can  be  dispelled  only  by  Brahman  priests. 

BUDDHISM.  Great  powers  of  sorcery  are  attributed  to  Chun-ti, 
the  female  Buddha,  yet  Buddha  denounced  the  Brahmans  who  earned 
their  livelihood  by  low  arts  of  sorcery  and  divining.  He  stood  out 
firmly  against  a  multitude  of  groveling  practices  of  his  day  which 
were  employed  by  idle  Brahmans  to  secure  their  living. 

TAOISM.  Geomancy  is  a  strong  characteristic  of  Taoism.  Its 
priests  are  expert  in  magic  and  constantly  play  upon  the  many  su- 
perstitions of  the  susceptible  Chinese.  Dr.  Griffis  calls  this  mental 
pandemonium  from  fear  of  evil  spirits,  "the  delirium  tremens  of 
paganism."  Priests,  by  this  means,  can  inflame  a  mob  to  fury  and 
madness  in  a  very  short  time. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Before  a  Chinese  will  build  a  house,  or  dig 
a  grave,  he  must  consult  the  geomancer,  who,  by  incantations,  will 
discover  from  the  spirit  world  the  proper  place  to  locate  it.  Thus 
"fungshui"  holds  the  Chinese  with  a  grip  of  steel  and  the  sorcerers 
profit  immensely  thereby. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  The  founder  of  this  system  of  religion  was 
opposed  to  all  forms  of  the  black  arts.  He  is  believed  to  have  been 
acquainted  with  a  portion  of  the  Old  Testament  teachings  and  to 
have  been  thereby  influenced  against  idols  and  the  tricks  of  the 
Oriental  cults. 

THE  PARSEES  do  not  practice  sorcery  but  they  are  possessed 
by  a  slavish  superstition  to  their  rites  and  ceremonies;  such  as 
bringing  a  dog  to  look  into  the  face  of  a  dead  man  before  burial, 
that  all  evil  spirits  may  thus  be  driven  away. 

SHINTOISM.  The  priests  practice  cunning  tricks  upon  the  wor- 
shipers. "In  their  ordeals  of  water  and  fire  they  make  clever  use  of 
the  pheHomena  of  water  boiling  on  mountain  heights  at  a  low  tem- 
perature, and  of  the  heat  absorbing  qualities  of  salt." 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  Rings  are  worn  against  the  influence  of 
evil  spirits.  The  child-witch  is  feared  by  evej-y  mother.  Amulets 
are  placed  on  children  to  protect  them  from  tlu-  avil  eye.  A  chapter 
from  the  "Koran,"  or  certain  names  of  God,  or  names  of  the  prophets 
are  worn  as  amulets.    The  "Koran"  forbids  divining  by  arrows.— U-42. 

41 


ANCESTRAL  WORSHIP. 

CHRISTIANITY.  The  teachings  of  the  Bible  concerning  the  sin- 
ful, dopraved  nature  of  man  and  the  exclusive  right  of  God  to  accept 
worship,  excludes  all  thought  of  ancestral  worship.  Christians  are 
not  taught  to  expect  any  communication  from  deceased  relatives  nor 
that  they  will  act  as  mediators  for  them  before  God. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  Brahman,  being  one  of  the  highest  caste, 
gains  almost  infinite  power  over  Hindu  minds.  He  poses  before 
them  as  an  intercessor  and  promises  that,  after  death,  he  will  act 
as  a  forerunner  for  those  who  pay  proper  respect  to  him,  and  will 
pave  the  way  for  them  in  the  world  to  come. 

HINDUISM.  The  oldest  son  performs  ceremonies  at  his  father's 
death  and  others  a  year  after.  Once  he  must  perform  a  pilgrimage 
to  some  sacred  stream  or  lake  to  burn  the  "pind"  to  his  father's 
manes.  The  neglect  of  this  may  seriously  offend  the  father's  spirit 
and  cause  him  to  take  revenge  on  his  forgetful  son. — s-125.    E-91. 

BUDDHISM.  Ancestral  worship  is  a  worship  of  fear.  Departed 
spirits  are  believed  to  have  greatly  enlarged  freedom  and  increased 
power,  and  the  father  especially  must  be  honored  or  revenge  will  be 
forthcoming.  It  is  estimated  tliat  the  Chinese  spend  over  $150,000,000 
annually  on  the  worship  of  their  ancestors. 

TAOISM.  Ancestral  worship  in  China  has  caused  a  great  desire 
that  a  boy  be  born  in  each  home,  because  girls  cannot  perform  this 
ancestral  rite.  The  eldest  son  often  sleeps  by  his  father's  coffin 
for  a  time  after  death.  Ancestral  worship  has  produced  a  strong 
family  tie.  Disembodied  spirits  are  believed  to  have  the  same  gen- 
eral wants  as  when  living  on  earth,  and  this  worship  attempts  to 
supply  that  need. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Ancestral  worship  is  the  real  religion  of 
China.  Confucianism  has  been  its  most  ardent  advocate.  At  the 
father's  death,  the  eldest  son  places  his  name  on  a  wooden  tablet 
which  is  retained  in  the  family  for  one  or  two  generations.  Offerings 
are  made  to  it  from  time  to  time  and  pilgrimages  are  made  to  the 
tomb.— J-201-207. 

ZOROASTRIANISM  did  not  seem  to  teach  the  worship  of  an- 
cestors, but  it  placed  those  who  had  been  remarkably  successful  in 
life  upon  a  pedestal  in  the  hall  of  fame  and  pointed  to  them  as  illus- 
trious examples,  for  all  others  to  follow  until  they  too  arrive  at 
the  ''resting  place  from  which  nobody  can  turn  out  the  occupants." 

PARSEEISM  does  not  teach  ancestral  worship.  Each  individual 
possesses  only  one  personality  from  birth  throughout  its  entire  ex- 
istence. The  fear  of  departed  spirits  is  not  a  distinctive  teaching 
of  Parseeism. 

SHINTOISM.  Ancestral  worship,  including  the  performing  of 
rites  to  the  memory  of  tlie  so-called  divine  ancestors  of  the  sovereigns 
of  Japan,  is  a  distinctive  practice  of  Shintoism.  Since  Shintoism  has 
ceased  to  be  a  religion,  the  priests  have  caused  trouble  for  some 
Christians  by  trying  to  compel  them  to  observe  these  rites. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  On  Friday  the  people  visit  the  graves  of 
relatives  and  pay  their  respects  with  prayers  and  tears.  The  priests 
are  employed  to  road  the  "Koran"  at  the  grave.  Visits  are  paid  to 
the  graves  of  prominent  people  that  prayers  may  there  be  made. 

42 


VIEW  OF  MAN'S  DUTY  TO  MAN. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "Love  your  enemies,  bless  them  that  curse 
you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  and  pray  for  them  which  despite- 
fully  use  you,  and  persecute  you."— Matt.  5:44.  "Love  thy  neighbor 
as  thyself."— Matt.  19:19.  "^Miatsover  ye  would  that  men  should 
do  to  Vou,  do  ye  even  so  to  them."— Matt.  7 :  12. 

BRAHMANISM  denies  the  unity  of  the  human  race.  Brahmans 
are  the  gods,  while  women  and  the  outcasts  do  not  even  have  souls. 
The  Brahmans  have  no  responsibility  to  care  for  others.— F-299. 
G-334. 

More  soldiers  went  to  the  Philippine  Islands  from  the  United  States 
in  six  montlis  tlian  have  ever  gone  as  missionaries  to  all  lands  trom  all 
America. 

HINDUISM  is  the  most  cruelly  neglectful  of  all  religious  systems. 
Its  caste  system  prohibits  anyone  from  even  touching  those  of  an 
alien  caste.    Its  treatment  of  the  dying  is  shocking  and  barbarous. 

Do  yon  desire  to  be  rich?— then  win  souls.  Every  one  is  worth  more 
than  a  world. 

BUDDHISTS  are  very  careful  to  be  kind  to  insect  and  beast,  but 
are  neglectful  and  often  cruel  to  their  own  kindred,  for  fear  they 
may  encounter  the  wrath  of  the  spirits  wdiich  are  punishing  them 
for  sin.— d-74-78.    B-vol.  1-156.    F-llQ,  120. 

TAOISM  says:  "Do  not  expose  the  faults  nor  conceal  the  vir- 
tues of  others.  Feed  the  hungry,  clothe  the  naked.  Do  not  over- 
throw others  that  you  may  take  their  place." 

God  knows  your  excuses  for  not  going  as  a  missionary.  Have  you 
ever  thought  of  letting  Him  answer  them  instead  of  answermg  them 
yourself  ? 

CONFUCIUS  gave  a  splendid  principle  for  saving  oneself  trouble. 
"Do  not  do  unto  others  what  you  w^ould  not  have  others  do  to  you." 
He  taught  peaceable  relations  between  all  classes.- a-26.  B-130. 
f-132.    m-278.    D-C3-67,  69. 

ZOROASTER  said:  'T)evote  your  life  to  good  works  and  eschew 
evil."  This  is  the  sum  of  Zoroaster's  teaching  concerning  man's 
duty  to  man.     Their  system  of  living  is  communistic. 

"The  conversion  of  the  world  is  the  will  of  Christ  and  therefore  it 
is  our  bounden  duty."— Bishop  Selwyn. 

PARSEES.  No  sect  of  non-Christian  people  have  a  higher  stand- 
ard of  duty  to  man  than  the  Parsees.  Honesty,  fidelity  to  one's 
promise,  and  charity,  are  cardinal  virtues.  None  are  beggars.  One 
man  gave  $1,500,000  to  charity.— F-574. 

SHINTOISM.  "Follow  your  natural  impulses  and  obey  the  laws 
of  the  state"  is  the  gist  of  Shinto  teaching.  The  ethical  teaching  is 
very  crude  and  some  statements  are  even  bad. — b-16. 

Many  of  the  true  heroes  of  the  world  are  not  in  athletics,  or  in  battle's 
carnage,  but  plodding  away  in  obscure  mission  fields. 

MOHAMMEDANS  profess  and  often  practice  great  loyalty  to 
those  of  their  own  religious  faith,  but  more  often  are  jealous,  sus- 
picious and  revengeful.  From  all  others,  they  keep  separate  and 
show  hatred.— A-422.    F-496. 

"That  land  is  henceforth  my  country  which  most  needs  the  Gospel."— 
Count  Zinzendorf. 

43 


PLACE  GIVEN  TO  WOMEN. 

CHRISTIANITY.  No  religion  in  the  world  gives  woman  her  right- 
ful place,  except  Christianity.  The  Bible  teaches  that,  as  a  sinner 
she  needs  salvation,  as  a  woman  she  deserves  respect  and  esteem,  as 
a  relative  she  merits  love.  "Husbands,  love  your  wives,  even  as 
Christ  also  loved  the  church." — Eph.  5:25. 

BRAHMANIvSM.  Originally  woman  held  a  high  place,  but  now  she 
is  a  slave  and  her  husband  is  her  god.  It  is  a  sin  for  her  to  read 
the  "Vedas."  Her  face  must  never  be  seen  by  any  man,  except  her 
husband.— 0-48-74,  12G-130.  p-223.  q-146-166.  t-143.  v-89-108.  B- 
vol.  I-llO.     F-296.     11-91. 

HINDUISM.  Woman  is  considered  so  degi'aded  that  a  Brahman 
who  is  reading  his  scriptures  must  cease  if  she  is  passing  his  door. 
No  other  religious  system  can  approach  the  cruelty  shown  the  women 
under  Hinduism.— n-94,  100,  223.  o-148.  0-73-107.  r-116-128.  W- 
40-130. 

Hear  this  cry  of  a  Hindu  woman :  "O  God,  let  no  more  women  be 
born  in  India." 

BUDDHISM.  In  childhood,  a  girl  must  obey  her  father;  after 
marriage,  her  husband,  and  if  a  widow,  her  son.  She  dare  do  noth- 
ing without  her  lord's  permission.  She  has  no  soul  and  her  only 
hope  of  heaven  is  to  be  reborn  a  man.— b-31-32.    B-200-201.     F-119. 

TAOISM.  Polygamy  is  practiced.  Girl  babies  are  unwelcomed. 
This  system  allows  foot-binding,  and  endorses  the  slavery  of  women 
to  their  husbands.  The  "Book  of  Rewards"  teaches,  "Do  not  listen 
to  what  your  wife  says." 

The  disciples  left  their  business  for  Christ  Why  cannot  you  do  the 
same? 

CONFUCIUS  used  the  words  "small  fidelity"  to  show  the  strength 
of  the  relations  necessary  between  man  and  wife.  A  woman  may 
be  divorced  for  "talking  too  much."  Woman  is  tolerated  because  she 
is  necessary  to  the  race. — j-58.    B-vol.  1-61.    F-191. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  The  wife  is  queen  of  the  home.  She  holds 
a  high  place  in  authority  and  affection.  To  be  an  ideal  wife  she  must 
be  obedient  and  chaste,  educated  and  wise,  modest,  courteous  and 
cheerful. 

Jesus  did  not  come  to  the  earth  and  die  for  nothing,  but  do  you  not 
almost  malie  it  so  when  you  neglect  to  send  the  Gospel  to  the  heathen? 

PARSEEISM.  Marriage  is  sacred;  polygamy  forbidden,  and  di- 
vorce is  not  legalized.  Disobedience  is  a  great  sin,  punishable  after 
death.  The  wife  stands  on  a  social  equality  with  her  luisband  and 
is  mistress  of  the  home. — n-54.     r-54,  CO.     F-374.     H-118. 

Under  SHINTOISM,  woman  probably  had  a  higher  place  than 
after  Buddliism  entered.  Now  Shinto  women  are  enslaved.  They  are 
often  found  as  holy  dancers  in  the  Shinto  shrines. — b-111.     F-074. 

"If  yon  are  contrihutins  less  to  missions  this  year  than  you  did  last 
year,  does  it  mean  that  you  desire  some  of  the  worli  of  Christ  to  stop?" 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  A  man  may  divorce  his  wife  by  saying: 
"Thou  art  divorced."  Her  duty  is  implicit  obedience  and  reverential 
silence  in  his  presence.  A  woman's  hope  of  heaven  is  to  have  a 
husband  and  tlius  get  in  to  be  his  attendant. — n-09.  0-7C.  r-82-85. 
A-305.    D-35,  47. 

One  missionary  said  she  had  been  asked  a  hundred  times  by  women 
for  some  drug  that  would  end  their  misery. 

44 


HONESTY. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "Let  him  tliat  stole  steal  no  more."— Eph.  4:28. 
"Provide  things  honest  in  the  sight  of  all  men." — Rom.  12:17. 
Christianity  provides  moral  power  in  the  Word  of  God  and  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  overcome  every  dishonest  tendency. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  pride  of  an  Oriental  is  to  conceal  his  mind 
and  purpose.  A  Brahman  may  be  a  thief  or  a  murderer  and  yet 
be  received  in  full  fellowship  by  his  caste.— R-5,  G. 

HINDUISM.  There  is  a  proverb:  "Trade  does  not  go  on  without 
falsehood."  The  Assamese  have  hardly  a  word  in  their  language 
to  indicate  strict  honesty.  Untruthfulness,  dishonesty  and  perjury 
are  notoriously  common  in  India.  Lying  and  stealing  are  all  but 
universal.  One  man  while  in  the  midst  of  lying  about  his  work, 
refused  to  touch  an  old  dry  bone  as  it  was  contrary  to  his  religion. 

BUDDHISM.  A  Chinaman,  who  broke  his  promise,  replied  that 
it  was  of  no  consequence  for  he  could  make  another  just  as  good. 
There  are  few  non-Christian  Chinese  who  have  a  well-developed 
conscience.  "Keeping  face"  is  of  first  value  and  as  long  as  a  wrong 
act  is  not  found  out  there  is  nothing  to  worry  about. 

TAOISM.  The  deception  of  the  priests  have  filled  China  with 
"ways  that  are  dark  and  tricks  that  are  vain."  The  "squeeze 
system"  equals  the  graft  of  any  land  and  is  universal.  It  per- 
meates government,  business  and  society.  The  sin  of  dishonesty  is 
in  being  found  out.  Robbery  is  a  high  art.  Officials  are  given 
little  or  no  salary  and  are  expected  to  squeeze  their  living  from  the 
people,  and  something  also  for  officials  higher  up. 

CONFUCIANISM.  In  popular  intercourse  and  diplomatic  nego- 
tiations, the  unchristianized  Chinaman  is  untruthful.  If  entrusted 
with  a  thing  of  value,  he  will  guard  it  zealously,  but  if  not,  he  will 
steal  it  readily.  His  religion  does  not  restrain  him  because  he 
can  make  up  for  any  sin  by  penance.  Business  honesty  is  well 
authenticated  among  many. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  "Lying  is  regarded  as  the  most  discredit- 
able thing;  next  to  it  is  the  incurring  of  debt,  chiefly  because  the 
debtor  is  often  compelled  to  tell  lies."  Zoroaster  insisted  upon 
honesty  and  charity  as  a  means  of  vanquishing  evil. 

PARSEEISM  advocates  honesty.  The  Parsee  merchants  are  con- 
sidered among  the  most  reliable  in  India.  Their  contact  with  Eng- 
lish and  Europeans  has  caused  them  to  adopt  much  the  same 
general  business  methods. 

SHINTOISM.  "If  a  lie  is  politic  and  convenient,  not  many  un- 
saved Japanese  will  respect  truth  for  its  own  sake."  "Patriotism 
and  loyalty  to  public  responsibility  save  them  to  a  notable  ex- 
tent from  official  dishonesty  and  corruption."  Shinto  furnishes  no 
examples  of  redeemed  men  picked  up  from  the  gutter  and  made 
honest  and  pure. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  "Truthfulness  is  one  of  the  lost  arts"  in 
Mohammedanism.  "Verily  a  lie  is  allowable  in  three  cases:  to 
women,  to  reconcile  frienos,  and  in  war."  After  twelve  centuries, 
the  Arabs  are  a  nation  of  robbers.  One  Persian  said:  "Lying  ia 
jotting  this  country."— Xi-119. 

45 


MORALITY. 

CHRISTIANITY  requires  strict  morality.  "It  is  the  only  re- 
ligion which  (loos  not  hopelessly  confound  the  moral,  the  immoral 
and  the  morally  indillVMont."  It  is  the  only  religion  which  gives  the 
power  needed  to  attain  its  ideals. 

BRAHMANISM.  Brahmans  use  their  position  and  authority  to 
exact  anything  they  desire  from  the  lower  castes,  and  the  losers 
dare  not  complain.  Marrying  girls  to  the  gods,  only  to  make  them 
temple  prostitutes,  is  among  their  worst  practices.  Their  self- 
exalted  position  and  pantlieistic  beliefs  have  made  them  feel  ir- 
responsible in  matters  of  moral  evil. 

HINDUISM.  The  law  of  caste  is  more  observed  than  the  law 
of  conscience.  Hinduism  endorses  immoral  acts,  while  Christianity 
denounces  them.  Eeligion  is  quite  severed  from  morals.  An  im- 
moral person  may  be  very  religious.  It  is  said  that  one  of  their  gods 
had  his  limbs  drop  off  because  of  his  immorality. 

BUDDHISM  was  one  of  the  best  of  the  great  non-Christian 
religious  systems.  It  was  a  moral  system  but  had  not  moral 
power.  Therefore,  it  failed  utterly  to  touch  India's  deplorable 
immorality  which  so  shocked  Gautama.  However,  he  appealed  to  the 
intellect  only  and  left  the  soul  untouched. 

TAOISM,  which  is  practically  demon  worship,  cannot  be  expected 
to  have  a  high  moral  standard.  A  successful  liar  is  honored,  pil- 
fering is  a  universal  habit  among  servants,  and  judicial  corruption 
among  officials.  Immorality,  so  common,  develops  its  blighting 
fungus  everywhere. 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  Chinese  do  not  make  an  open  show  of 
their  vices.  They  are  greatly  shocked  at  the  public  advertising 
which  English  papers  give  to  crime,  licentiousness,  divorce  and 
drunkenness.  They  wonder  why  newspapers  are  allowed  to  drag 
everyone's  failure  into  the  lime  light.  Confucianism  has  never 
encouraged  cruelty  nor  sensuality. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  "Think  purely,  speak  purely,  act  purely." 
The  "Zend  Avesta"  sacred  books  are  free  from  immorality  and 
cruelty  both  in  their  characterization  of  deity  and  in  their  directions 
for  worship. 

PARSEEISM.  "Avoid  all  arrogance  and  envy,  all  lying  and 
slander,  all  unchastity,  magic  and  vice.  Keep  thyself  pure."  The 
Parsees  follow  this  teaching  more  closely  than  most  Orientals 
follow  their  religion,  and  have  reached  as  high  a  standard  of  morals 
as  is  usually  found,  except  in  those  whom  Christ  has  delivered  from 
sin's  guilt  and  power. — N-15. 

SHINTOISM.— A  Shinto  teacher  asserted  that  the  Japanese  had 
»o  need  for  a  system  of  morals,  as  each  person  acted  rightly  if  he 
only  consulted  his  own  heart.  Shinto  has  no  definite  moral  code, 
lays  down  no  particular  precepts  or  doctrines  and  prescribes  no 
ritual. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  permits  sensuality  during  this  life  and 
promises  it  for  the  life  to  come.  Thus  religion  has  become  divorced 
from  morality.  One  of  the  most  severe  charges  of  Mirza  Ali  ]Mo- 
hammed  against  the  jMoslem  clergy  in  Persia  was  their  scandalous 
vices.  The  activity  of  Arabs  in  slave  dealing  is  also  a  black  scar 
on  the  morals  of  Moslems. — J-258,  L-111,  119. 

46 


TREATMENT  OF  THE  POOR. 

CHRISTIANITY  stands  far  ahead  of  any  non-Christian  religion 
or  unbelieving  organization  in  the  world  in  its  care  of  the  poor. 
It  has  given  the  pattern,  the  motive,  and  the  impetus  to  all  efforts 
for  the  needy.  The  heathen  let  the  poor  suffer  and  even  kill  them, 
until  Christianity  shows  them  their  duty. 

BRAHMANISM  presents  no  balm  to  poverty.  Religious  and  so- 
cial customs  are  so  rigid  that  families  are  plunged  into  debt  for 
life  by  a  marriage  or  a  funeral.  Merciless  money  lenders  prey  upon 
people  and  shyster  lawyers  urge  on  any  breach  of  friendship  to  get  a 
case  in  court.  Travelers  are  often  left  to  die,  if  their  caste  is  not 
known. 

HINDUS.  The  average  income  of  a  laborer  in  India  is  $1.50 
per  month,  and  60,000,000  are  said  to  go  to  bed  hungry  even  in 
prosperous  years.  Famine  mows  down  these  famished  people  rapidly. 
Caste  is  so  binding  that  even  the  dying  refuse  food  from  one  of 
another  caste.     People  are  very  slow  to  help  the  needy. — 1-19. 

BUDDHISM  teaches:— "Give  to  him  who  begs,  though  it  be  but 
a  little."  The  poor  in  China  and  Siam  are  held  in  a  species  of 
slavery  for  debt  and  children  of  the  poor  are  sometimes  sold  to 
pay  debts.  The  motive  for  any  assistance  is,  that  the  act  may 
lay  up  merit. 

TAOISM.  To  relieve  the  poor  of  the  expense  of  the  interment 
of  children,  the  Chinese  government  provides  towers  outside  the 
cities  where  dead  infants  may  be  placed.  If  dying  beggars  are 
found  at  one's  doorway,  they  are  shoved  on  to  the  next  place, 
notwithstanding  the  Taoist  sacred  book  teaches  men  "to  feed  the 
hungry,  clothe  the  naked,  bury  the  dead." 

CONFUCIANISM.  To  be  poor  at  home  is  not  counted  poverty, 
but  to  oe  poor  on  the  highway,  away  from  home,  will  cost  a  man 
his  life.  A  man  may  drown  in  sight  of  a  crowd  and  no  one  move 
to  rescue  him.  Unwillingness  to  assist  others,  without  pay,  is  a 
trait  of  the  unsaved  Chinese. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  Acts  of  philanthropy  are  inculcated,  be- 
cause, since  life  is  a  warfare  between  good  and  evil,  every  generous 
and  unselfish  act  throws  its  influence  toward  the  final  overthrow  of 
evil  and  the  ultimate  triumph  of  good. 

THE  PARSEES  provide  for  their  poor  better  than  any  other 
non-Christian  people.  They  strongly  resemble  the  Jews  in  their 
care  of  their  own  race.  They  even  contributed  to  the  Sanitary 
Commission  during  the  Civil  War  in  the  United  States. 

SHINTOISM  grew  up  during  a  period  wlien  the  shogun  and  the 
feudal  lords  controlled  things  to  such  an  extent  that  the  common 
people  could  not  count  their  lives  as  their  own.  Their  wliole  policy 
bordered  on  the  "survival  of  the  fittest."  A  life  sacrificed  in  a 
chivalrous  cause  was  something  to  be  greatl}^  admired.  The  care 
of  the  poor  did  not  burden  the  public  conscience.  It  was  a  matter 
between  relatives  only. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  The  hospitality  of  the  Arab  is  a  well 
known  fact,  yet  it  runs  by  rule  and  Lasts  only  a  few  days.  Arabs, 
whose  history  runs  red  with  the  blood  of  murdered  slaves,  and  of 
secular  and  religious  bloodshed,  cannot  be  expected  to  show  much 
real  heart  pity  for  those  in  need.    Gifts  are  usually  to  gain  merit. 

47 


TREATMENT  OF  THE  SICK. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "Pure  relifrion  and  undefilod  bpfore  God  and 
the  Father  is  tliis,  To  visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  in  their 
allliction,  and  to  keep  himself  unspotted  from  the  world." — James 
1:27;  5:14-15.  "Finally,  be  ye  all  of  one  mind,  having  compassion 
one  of  another,  love  as  brethren,  be  pitiful,  be  courteous." — 1  Pet. 
3:8.  Christianity  rightfully  has  the  credit  of  the  only  real  intel- 
ligent care  of  the  sick,  feeble,  cripples  and  insane  to  be  found  in 
the  world. 

BRAHMANISM.  Caste  rules  prevent  a  Brahman  from  assisting 
a  person  of  an}'  other  caste  than  liis  own.  A  hideous  wail  is  set 
up  by  relatives  as  soon  as  a  sick  person  is  believed  to  be  dying. 
This  often  hastens  death.  Evil  spirits  are  believed  to  flock  into 
the  death  chamber,  which  causes  terror  to  both  living  and  dying. 

HINDUISM.  A  dying  person  is  placed  in  the  Ganges  and  ex- 
horted to  say:  "Hasi,"  as  a  passport  to  heaven.  The  ailments  of 
women  and  children  are  treated  by  men  of  the  family  as  of  no 
conseciuence  and  are  constantly  allowed  to  run  into  incurable 
maladies  because  time,  money  and  inclination  to  help  are  wanting. 

BUDDHISM.  China's  reputation  for  callousness  in  the  presence 
of  sutl'ering  is  notorious.  ]\Iany  of  the  Chinese  can  see  persons 
drowning  or  being  killed  before  their  eyes  without  seeming  to  think 
of  offering  assistance.. 

TAOISM.  It  is  a  current  saying  that,  "In  the  presence  of  a 
long  continued  sickness,  there  is  no  filial  son."  If  a  young  married 
woman  is  sick,  the  first  step  is  to  send  for  her  mother  as  the  only 
one  who  has  the  time  or  disposition  to  care  for  her;  and  who,  also,  is 
often  expected  to  meet  the  expenses.  Patients  having  contagious 
diseases  are  deserted  like  lepers. 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  announcement  of  illness  is  a  signal  for 
all  manner  of  raids  upon  the  patient,  the  numbers  being  in  pro- 
portion to  the  gravity  of  the  disease.  Priests  raise  pandemonium 
to  drive  away  evil  spirits.  Guests  throng  the  place  and  wail 
if  death  is  feared.    Quietness  is  not  even  thought  of. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  The  whole  trend  of  the  teaching  and  life 
of  Zoroaster  was  a  great  advance  over  the  cruelty  of  the 
people  of  his  times.  He  pled  for  mercy  for  man  and  beast,  and 
set  in  motion  a  new  line  of  ethics  which  developed  the  best  human 
civilization  of  his   day. 

THE  PARSEES  take  good  care  of  the  sick.  They  form  the 
habit  of  giving  while  they  live  rather  than  leaving  their  earn- 
ings in  a  legacy.  As  a  result,  Bombay  has  a  number  of  well- 
appointed  hospitals  and  asylums  through  their  generosity.  Their 
care  of  the  sick  has  been  stimulated  by  the  example  of  Christianity 
in  India. 

SHINTOISM  did  not  deal  with  moral  obligations,  the  result  of 
which  was,  that  everyone  did  as  his  own  feelings  prompted  in 
cases  of  need.  Ancestral  worship  exerted  considerable  influence  in 
the  individual  determination  of  one's  personal  obligations  to  the 
sick   and   dying, 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  Arabs  depend  on  amulets,  charms  or  herb 
remedies.  Honey  is  a  great  panacea  according  to  the  "Koran." 
Women  are  so  versed  in  Arabic  nuiteria  mediea  that  the  Arab  doctors, 
"hakeem,"  find  comparatively  few  to  practice  upon.  Their  treatmeiit 
of  the  sick  is  pitifully,  though  iguorantly,  cruel. 

48 


FUNERALS. 

CHRISTIANITY  provides  at  every  funeral  a  sweet,  healing  balm 

for  its  bereaved  and  sorrowing  followers,  and  they  need  not  sor- 
row as  those  who  have  "no  hope."  The  cross,  the  resurrection,  and 
the  heavenly  reunion  rob  death  of  its  sting  and  assure  believers 
that  it  IS  but  a  short  time  until  they  will  meet  again. 

BRAHMANISM.  After  the  death  of  a  man,  Brahmans  must 
pray  to  raise  the  soul  of  the  deceased  up  to  heaven.  They  use 
the  important  ceremony  of  kakasparsha,  that  is,  they  expose  a 
ball  of  rice  to  be  taken  by  a  crow. 

HINDUS.  The  body  of  the  deceased  must  be  washed,  hair, 
beard  and  nails  trimmed.  The  grave  must  be  southeast  or  south- 
west of  the  place  where  the  man  died.  Old  men,  without  their 
wives,  carr}'  the  corpse.  The  priest  walks  three  times  around  the 
grave,  sprinkles  it  with  water  from  a  branch  of  a  tree  and  re- 
peats a  verse  of  the  "Veda-Code  of  INIanu." 

BUDDHISM.  After  death,  a  short  service  is  held  in  the  home, 
then  the  body  is  reverently  borne  to  the  temple  for  more  elaborate 
services.  There  the  priest  gives  the  man  a  new  name  Avhich  is 
inscribed  upon  his  tombstone  and  tablet,  and  by  this  name  he 
is  known  in  the  spirit  world. — ^^J-135. 

TAOISM.  The  correct  burial  under  Taoism  calls  for  a  funeral 
every  seventh  day  until  the  forty-ninth  day.  In  wealthy  families, 
priests  cliant  every  day  for  seven  weeks.  Ceremonies  of  lighting 
the  lamps,  bathing  the  soul,  crossing  the  bridge  and  scattering 
the  cash,  take  place.     Death  is  considered  unclean. — J- 180. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Large  prolonged  funerals  are  sought  in  China, 
because  they  bring  honor.  Paper  articles  for  the  household  are 
burned  at  the  gi-ave  and  are  believed  to  be  transported  in  smoke 
to  the  spirit  world,  for  the  use  of  the  deceased.  Paper,  representing 
money,  is  scattered  on  the  way  to  the  grave  to  detract  the  spirits 
from  following  tlie  corpse. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  \Yhen  a  man  is  dying,  the  priest  ap- 
proaches and  repeats  texts  from  the  sacred  "Avestas."  After  death, 
prayers  are  said  for  the  repose  of  the  soul.  The  men  friends 
go  and  bow  their  respects  before  the  corpse  to  indicate  their 
sympathy  and  sorrow.  It  is  borne  on  four  men's  shoulders  to  the 
"tower  of  silence." 

THE  PARSEES  reverence  earth,  air,  fire  and  water,  therefore, 
a  corpse  cannot  be  buried  in  earth,  burned  in  fire  or  thrown  into 
the  water  as  it  would  defile  these  elements.  The  body  is  ex- 
posed on  a  circular  roof  and  swiftly  devoured  by  vultures.  These 
structures  are  called  "towers  of  silence." 

SHINTOISM  has  simple  funeral  rites.  The  deceased  is  placed  in 
a  long,  narroAV  coffin.  The  ceremonies  are  elaborate,  expensive, 
solemn  and  yet  somewhat  boisterous.  Fish,  vegetables,  fruits,  rice 
and  sake  are  put  on  the  grave,  at  intervals  after  burial,  in  honor 
of  the  dead  and  to  nourish  the  spirits  of  the  departed. — J-3G-7. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  Mohammed  said:  "A  propliet  should  be 
buried  where  he  died."  He  was  embalmed  in  fragrant  aromatics. 
His  family  led  the  procession,  followed  by  his  companions  and  fel- 
low citizens,  A  death  is  announced  by  a  "molla"  from  the  house- 
top. It  is  said  that  after  burial,  two  black  angels  come  and  or- 
der the  dead  man  to  sit  up  for  examination.  For  this  reason,  some 
have  their  graves  made  hollow  so  they  can  sit  up  easily. 

4  49 


FEASTS  AND  FASTS. 

CHRISTIANITY,  in  accordance  with  Christ's  command,  observes 
one  spiritual  "love  feust"  of  fellowship  with  Christ  for  the  spirit 
and  not  the  body.  Its  fasts  are  purely  voluntary  among  Protest- 
ants and  are  for  times  of  introspection  and  prayer.  Non-Protest- 
ants make  considerable  of  fast  days  as  days  of  merit-making. 

BRAHMANISM.  "Fasting  is  the  expiatory  penance  for  neglect- 
ing the  regular  ceremonies  declared  in  the  "Veda."  In  the  sacrificial 
feasts,  the  deities  are  supposed  to  come  and  eat  with  the  wor- 
shipers. The  priests  drink,  often  too  freely,  of  an  intoxicating 
liquor  made  from  the  putika  plant,  used  in  sacrificial  services. 

HINDUISM.  April,  October  and  January  are  the  most  sacred 
months.  June  is  devoted  to  the  bathing  of  the  Juggernaut  and 
the  festival  of  the  Ganges.  The  feast  of  Krishnu  occurs  in 
August.  Doorga,  wife  of  Siva,  is  elaborately  worshiped  in  Sep- 
tember.—B- vol.  1-134. 

BUDDHISM  observes  days  such  as  the  birth  of  Buddha  in  April, 
the  anniversary  of  his  entrance  into  Nirvana,  birthday  of  the 
female  Buddha  and  many  others;  also,  the  commencement  and 
end  of  summer  and  winter,  the  eclipses  of  sun  and  moon.  In 
Ceylon,  there  is  an  annual  festival  in  honor  of  Buddha's  tooth 
located  at  Kandy. 

TAOISM.  "The  feast  of  dragon  boats"  occurs  oh  the  fifth  day 
of  the  fifth  month  and  is  a  lively  festival.  The  "feast  of  lanterns," 
which  takes  place  at  the  first  full  moon  of  each  year,  is  a  dull  and 
uninteresting  festival.  Taoists  possess  more  liberty  in  eating  than 
the  Buddhists,  who  are  compelled  to  be  vegetarians,  because  of  their 
fear  of  taking  animal  life;  yet  Buddhists  often  eat  meat  killed 
by  a  non-Buddhist.  The  sin  is  in  the  killing  and  not  in  the  eating. 
CONFUCIANISM.  It  is  only  once  or  twice  in  the  year,  that 
the  emperor,  as  father  and  priest  of  the  nation,  approaches  Shang-ti. 
The  solemn  day  of  sacrifice  is  preceded  by  a  period  of  fasting. 
The  emperor  spends  the  night  alone  in  a  humble  dwelling,  near  the 
place  of  sacrifice,   to  prepare  himself  for   his   solemn  duties. 

ZOROASTRIANISM  contained  many  ceremonies  similar  to  those 
found  in  the  old  Aryan  system,  though  they  were  much  modified 
and  tempered  by  the  more  humane  feelings  of  Zoroaster.  The 
juice  of  the  soma  plant  was  drunk  and  sacred  bread  was  eaten 
with  the  flesh  of  the  animal  which  had  been  sacrificed. 

THE  PARSEES  have  reduced  the  elaborate  sacrificial  customs 
of  the  Zoroastrians  to  a  few  rites.  The  Ijashne,  Darum  and  the 
Afringan  ceremonies  are  the  most  important.  No  sacrifices  are 
allowed  to  be  offered  in  the  night  time  and  feasts  often  follow. 

SHINTOISM.  Mourning  and  fasting  are  elaborate.  White  gar- 
ments are  worn  and  animal  food  is  not  eaten.  Craves  are  visited 
on  the  Vth,  14th,  21st,  35th,  4nth  and  100th  days  and  on  the  1st,  3rd, 
7th,  13th,  23rd,  27th,  33rd,  37th,  50th  and  100th  years.  For  feast 
days,  see  "Sacrod  Da  vs."     New  Year's  is  the  greatest  feast  day. 

■^ MOHAMMEDANISM.  There  are  two  principal  annual  feasts:— 
breaking  the  fast  of  Kamadan,  and  the  feast  of  the  sacrifice.  Re- 
wards for  fasting  are  beyond  bounds,  for  it  is  for  God  alone. 
The  chief  fast  is  during  'the  month  of  Ramadan.  Not  a  drop 
of  water  or  morsel  of  food  is  taken  during  the  day,  but  at  night 
much  feasting  is  indulged  in.  None  are  excused  from  this  excejit 
travelers,  the  aged,  the  sick,  infants  and  idiots. — J-248.    L-38.    Q-73. 

50 


SONGS  AND   SINGING. 

CHRISTIANITY  alone  produces  the  condition  of  life  which 
liberates  the  soul  in  song.  Its  wealth  of  truth,  its  glorious 
deliverance  from  sin's  fetters,  and  its  unnumbered  hopes  create 
songs  and  the  spirit  of  praise  to  sing  them.  Paul  sang  m  prison 
though  his  body  was  bruised  and  aching. 

BRAHMANISM.  Ancient  Aryans  possessed  a  moderately  pure 
collection  of  hymns.  They  were  composed,  much  as  were  the 
modern  Christian  hymns,  in  ascribing  attributes  to  their  deities, 
confessing  their  own  shortcomings,  and  in  seeking  deliverance  from 
the  mental  torture  and  fear  over  their  sins. 

HINDUS.  Many  of  the  Hindu  hymns  are  so  immoral  that 
they  are  not  alloAved  to  appear  in  print  in  civilized  lands.  There 
is  but  little  chorus  singing  among  the  Orientals.  A  man  sings 
alone  accompanying  himself  with  some  stringed  instrument.  Often 
the  crowd  joins  in  the  refrain.  Max  Muller  says:  "Large  num- 
bers of  the  Vedic  hymns  are  childish  in  the  extreme — and  unworthy 
of  deity." 

BUDDHISM.  Gautama's  strict  views  of  moral  conduct  and  his 
ascetic  practices  to  prevent  arousing  emotional  passions,  made 
him  denounce  the  exciting  songs  and  dances  of  the  Nautch  girls, 
which  the  Brahmans  were  and  are  so  fond  of  in  their  recluses, 
where,  he  said:     "They  lived  on  food  provided  by  the  faithful." 

TAOISM.  The  songs  of  China  are  from  the  theater  or  the  idol 
temple,  which  excludes  them  from  use  in  Christian  homes.  They 
are  usually  sung  with  a  strong  nasal  sound  and  chanted,  which 
becomes  very  tiresome  to  an  Anglo-Saxon.  On  one  occasion, 
priests  chanted  the  same  three  lines  for  seventeen  minutes. 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  music  of  China  is  pentetonic,  the  fourths 
and  sevenths  being  omitted.  This  strange  system,  combined  with 
the  untrained  native  voice,  causes  grief  to  an  aesthetic  ear  when- 
ever compelled  to  listen  to  it.  The  children  readily  learn  Western 
music  under  careful  training. 

ZOROASTRIANISM  contained  many  expressions  of  worshipful 
praise  in  hymns  addressed  to  various  beings  of  good  nature.  To 
Homa  for  his  miraculous  power,  to  Ahuramazda  and  to  various 
angels.  These  hymns  were  fragments  of  ancient  Iranian  epic 
poetry  kept  by  the  bards. 

PARSEEISM.  Hymns  are  interspersed  with  prayer  and  sacri- 
fice in  the  Parsee  service,  which  occurs  daily,  beginning  at  mid- 
night— the  hour  at  which  the  spirits  of  darkness  exercise  their 
highest  power.     The  service  lasts  until  morning. 

SHINTOISM.  Worship  is  observed  by  individuals,  singly  and 
alone,  who  pray  in  silence.  Singing  is  found  in  the  performances 
of  the  temple  theaters,  and  is  a  weird  drawl.  The  singing  re- 
counts some  ancient  historic  narrative.  Temple  beggars  go  from 
door  to  door,  singing  the  brave  deeds  of  their  gods,  and  receiving 
gifts  to  support  the  priests. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  Music  is  generally  held  to  be  contrary 
to  Mohammed's  teaching.  Once,  on  hearing  music,  he  put  his 
fingers  in  his  ears  and  went  another  road.  In  spite  of  this,  the 
Arabs  are  fond  of  music  and  love  their  improvised  songs.  Moham- 
med despised  poets  because  a  woman  once  wrote  satirical  verses 
about  him. 

51 


SACRIFICES. 

CHRISTIANITY.  "Christ  our  passover  is  sacrificed  for  us."— 
1  Cor.  5:7.  '"Neither  by  the  blood  of  goats  and  calves,  but  by  his 
OAvn  blood  he  entered  in  once  into  the  holy  place,  having  obtained 
eternal  redemption  for  us." — Heb.  9:12. 

BRAHMANISM.  Human  sacrifices  were  once  offered  among 
Brahmans.  Now  the  Brahmanical  sacrifice  has  disappeared  as  com- 
pletely as  the  Levitical  sacrifice  has  disappeared  from  Judaism. 
The  transmigration  taught  in  Buddhism  brouglit  about  its  over- 
throw. To  sacrifice  an  animal  might  mean  the  killing  of  a  re- 
incarnated relative. 

HINDUISM.  Oflferings  among  the  heathen  are  losing  some  of 
their  sacrificial  import  and  are  looked  upon  and  presented  as  food 
for  the  gods.  Yet  it  is  said  that  there  is  scarcely  a  respectable 
house  in  Bengal  where  the  mistress  has  not  at  sometime  shed  her 
blood  to  satisfy  her  goddess. 

BUDDHISM.  Gautama  considered  sacrifices  an  abomination,  oc- 
casioning pain  without  securing  any  good.  This  was  a  natural 
conclusion,  since  he  did  not  believe  in  a  god.  He  also  objected 
to  persons  inflicting  physical  torture  upon  themselves. 

TAOISM.  The  Taoist  priest  officiates  in  red  robes,  while  the 
Buddhists  wear  yellow.  Death  brings  a  number  of  evil  influences 
into  the  dwelling  which,  the  people  believe,  are  only  to  be  expelled 
by  the  sacrifices  and  prayers  of  Taoist  priests.  The  ceremony 
is  called  "cleansing  the  house." 

CONFUCIANISM.  There  are  three  grade's  of  sacrifices:  1. 
The  Great — to  heaven,  earth,  great  temple  of  ancestors  and  the 
gods  of  the  land  and  grain.  2.  The  Medium — to  sun,  moon,  Con- 
fucius, manes  of  deceased  emperors  and  kings,  ancient  patrons  of 
agriculture  and  silk  weaving,  the  gods  of  heaven,  earth  and  the 
passing  vear.     3.     Tlie  Inferior — to  statesmen,  martyrs,  clouds,  etc. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  Herodotus  wrote:  "They  oflfer  sacrifices 
to  Zeus,  the  sun,  moon,  earth,  fire,  water,  and  winds.  They  off"er 
the  sacrifices  without  altars  in  a  pure  spot,  the  priest  singing 
the  incantation  after  which  the  flesh  is  eaten."  Their  sacrifices 
resemble  those  of  the  ancient  Brahmans. 

PARSEEISM.  The  priest  receives  the  offering  and  consecrates  it. 
It  is  then  left  beside  the  fire  for  a  short  time  after  which  it  is 
taken  away  by  the  offerer.  During  Ijashme  ceremony  no  animal 
is  killed,  only  some  hair  of  the  ox  is  placed  in  a  vessel  and  shown 
with  other  things  to  the  fire.     Tliev  throw  nothing  into  the  fire. 

SHINTOISM.  The  sacrifices  of  Shintoism  consist  chiefly  in  the 
offerings  to  the  spirits  of  departed  heroes  and  ancestors.  The 
priests  are  very  particular  to  be  clean  and  clothed  Mith  clean  robes. 
Thoy  even  bind  a  slip  of  paper  over  their  mouths,  that  their 
breath  may  not  pollute  the  ofloring.  Twice  a  year  paper  manikins 
are  solemnly  thrown  into  the  river  as  a  cleansing  from  sin. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  teaches  tlie  slaying  of  the  brute  creation 
to  commemorate  the  name  of  God  in  obedience.  Sheep,  goats, 
kine  or  camels  are  used.  After  the  sacrifice,  the  offerer  cuts  his 
hair  and  nails  and  buries  them.  These  ceremonies  came  down 
from  the  paganism  of  IMohammed's  day.  Although  ^Mohammedanism 
denies  Christ's  atonement  and  also  that  he  was  ever  crucified,  yet 
for  its  great  festival  it  has  a  sacrifice  to  commemorate  Abraham's 
obedience  and  God's  providing  a  substitute. 

52 


SACRED  ANIMALS. 

CHRISTIANITY.  No  animals  are  considered  sacred,  yet  all  are 
held  in  esteem  as  a  part  of  God's  creation. 

BRAHMANISM.  Killing  a  cow  is  as  bad  as  murder.  For  this 
offence,  one  man  was  tied  to  the  foot  of  an  elephant  and  dragged 
about  until  dead.  The  serpent,  which  is  the  emblem  of  immor- 
tality, and  the  monkey  are  also  sacred.  The  "tulsi"  plant  is 
sacred  to  Vishnu.  The  "vilva"  to  Siva  and  the  "pipal"  tree  to 
Brahma.     Certain  stones  and  rivers  are  sacred. 

HINDUISM.  The  duty  of  reverencing  the  cow  is  the  only 
common  bond  of  union  of  all  castes.  The  bullock  driver  whose 
clothes  have  been  defiled  by  contact  with  a  sweeper,  may  rub 
the  polluted  part  on  the  nose  of  his  bullock  and  thus  restore  him- 
self to  purity.     Monkeys,  bulls,  cows,  and  snakes,  are  sacred. 

BUDDHISTS  take  no  animal  life  because  of  their  belief  in 
transmigration.  Killing  any  creature  might  mean  depriving  the 
spirit  of  some  relative  of  its  abode,  and  it,  in  retaliation,  might 
get  revenge  on  the  slayer.  The  so-called  "white  elephant"  is  held 
sacred  in  the  royal  stables  of  Siam.  The  Buddhists'  mercy,  however, 
is  only  wiiimsical.  In  some  sections  they  will  eat  meat  if  the 
animal  was  not  killed  by  a  Buddhist. 

TAOISM.  The  dragon,  a  picture  of  which  is  seen  on  China's 
national  flag  and  in  all  places  where  supernatural  protection  is 
needed,  is  the  real  and  supreme  power  in  Taoism.  Animals  of 
great  strength  or  sagacity,  such  as  the  tiger  and  serpent,  are  held 
in  high  esteem.     Portions  of  them  are  often  mixed  in  medicine. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Animals  of  various  kinds  are  used  in  sacri- 
fice. The  animals  are  previously  inspected  by  the  board  of  sacred 
rites  to  see  that  they  are  perfect  in  form,  color  and  condition. 
The  victims  are  all  slain  and  prepared  the  day  before  by  butchers 
with  whom  no  idea  of  priesthood  is  associated. 

ZOROASTRIANISM  teaches  men  to  show  reverence  to  Bahman 
by  keeping  sacred  all  clean,  living  beings.  Another  meritorious 
work  is  to  destroy  serpents  and  weeds  and  other  vicious  animals 
and  plants.  These  acts  contribute  to  the  extension  of  the  realm 
of  Ormazd.  The  killing  of  an  otter  is  a  horrible  crime  since  it 
contains  the  souls  of  a  thousand  male  and  a  thousand  female 
dogs.  The  man  who  kills  an  otter  must  receive  10,000  lashes  or  kill 
10,000  bad  animals,  such  as  snakes,  mice,  lizards,  etc." 

THE  PARSEES  do  not  consider  any  animals  sacred  for  worship. 
They  consider  certain  animal  flesh,  such  as  pork  and  camel,  to 
be  imfit  for  food.  They  confine  their  food  to  that  prescribed  by 
their  religion.  A  plant  called  the  "white  homa,"  which  is  the  em- 
blem of  immortality,  is  guarded  by  innumerable  spirits. 

SHINTOISM.  Such  animals  as  the  fox  and  badger  are  worshiped, 
but  the  knowledge  of  science  that  is  being  now  gained  by  the 
educated  classes  is  showing  up  the  foolishness  of  such  practices 
and  the  students  of  the  empire  are  becoming  infidels  and  atheists. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  The  Arabs  do  not  consider  the  camel 
sacred,  but  say:  "The  camel  is  the  greatest  of  all  blessings  given 
to  mankind."  Arabic  dictionaries  give  this  animal  5,744  different 
names,  according  to  Hammer  Purgstall.  It  is  indispensable  in  the 
desert  for  it  can  eat  even  thorny  cactus,  go  days  without  water  and 
carry  from  GOO  to  1,000  lbs.  It  furnishes  milk,  meat,  leather,  and 
hair  for  rope,  shawls  and  tents. 

53 


SACRED  DAYS. 

CHRISTIANITY.  The  Xgw  Testament  lays  no  stress  upon  sacred 
days,  except  the  first  day  of  the  week.  Formalism  in  observing 
days  dedicated  to  certain  departed  saints  detracts  from  Christ. 
Paul  wrote  to  the  Galatians,  and  said:  "I  am  afraid  of  you;  ye  ob- 
serve days,  and  months,  and  times,  and  years." 

BRAHMANISM.  In  August  the  twice-born  castes  of  India  put 
on  a  new  sacred  thread  and  all  castes  tie  colored  threads  around 
their  wrists.  At  the  sacred  places  throughout  the  country,  there 
are  special  days  for  bathing  in  a  tank  or  river.  On  these  days  it 
is  the  custoni  to  combine  worship  with  pleasure,  so  the  people 
also  visit  entertainments  and  peepshows. 

HINDUISM.  Tlie  Holi  festival  is  in  spring  and  Dewali  is  in 
autumn  for  traders.  Pola  festival,  at  which  time  the  cattle  are 
garlanded  and  worshiped,  is  held  in  August  or  September  and  re- 
sembles the  Jewish  Day  of  Atonement.  Houses  are  cleaned,  and  the 
sweeping  carried  beyond  the  village  boundary.  Dashava,  held  in  the 
autumn,  is  tlie  greatest  festival  of  the  year;  then  the  story  of 
Kama's  triumph  is  recited  amid  much  noise  and  fireworks. 

BUDDHISM.  Devout  Buddhists  observe  four  worsliip  days  in 
each  month.  Lenten  season  in  Burma  extends  from  the  full  moon 
of  July  to  that  in  October.  "On  worshiping  days,  and  especially 
at  great  feasts,  the  people  visit  the  pagodas  and  monasteries  with 
their  offerings  and  recite  their  religious  formulae."  On  the  8th 
and    15th   of   each    month,   the   moon   is    worshiped. — J-120. 

TAOISM.  On  the  last  evening  of  the  year,  they  gather  for  the 
worship  of  the  tablets  of  ancestors.  On  the  morning  of  the  second 
day  of  the  first  new  moon,  all  males  of  suitable  age  go  to  the 
family  or  clan  graveyard  and  there  make  the  customary  offerings 
to  the  spirits  of  the  departed. 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  worshiping  of  the  ancestral  tablets  and 
spirits  of  the  departed,  constitutes  a  most  essential  ingredient  of 
the  Chinese  New  Year.  Once  a  year  the  emperor  and  his  ministers 
"plow  the  sacred  field."  The  ground  belongs  to  the  temple  of  heaven 
and  earth.     The  crop  of  wheat  is  used  in  idolatrous  services. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  Sacred  days,  in  commemoration  of  an- 
niversaries, do  not  seem  to  have  had  a  very  prominent  place  in  the 
religion  of  Zoroaster.  In  all  probability,  he  did  not  deal  with  this 
subj'ect  but  left  people  free  to  their  own  pleasure. 

THE  PARSEES  do  not  seem  to  lay  so  much  stress  on  certain 
sacred  days  as  on  ceremonial  observances,  such  as  the  one  con- 
nected with  the  confirmation  of  boys  when  they  put  on  the  sacred 
cord  and  shirt  and  are  initiated  into  membersliip  in  the  Parsee  re- 
ligion.    Funeial  ceremonies  are  also  considered  important. 

"^  SHINTOISM.  There  are  five  great  festivals:  New  Year's  day, 
on  tlie  first  dav  of  the  first  month;  Dolls'  Festival  (for  girls),  on 
tlie  third  dav  of  the  tliird  month;  Feast  of  the  Flags  (for  boys),  on 
the  fifth  day  of  the  fifth  month;  Festival  of  the  Star  Vega,  on  the 
seventh  day  of  tlie  seventh  month;  Chrysanthemum  Festival,  on 
the  ninth  dav  of  the  ninth  month. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.      INIarch    tenth    is    commemorated    as    the 
birthday   of   :Mohammed   and   Friday    is   observed,    all   over   :Moslem 
lands,   as   the   Mohammedan   Sabbath.     In   Palestine,   ".Mebe    ^[u.sa 
(lay  is  made  verv  popular  by  great  crowds  visiting  the  :Moslem  site 
of 'the  grave  of  Moses,  between  Jerusalem  and  the  Jordan  river. 

54 


NEW  YEAR'S  DAY. 

CHRISTIANITY.  The  calendar  of  the  civilized  world  dates 
its  historical  incidents  from  the  birth  of  Christ.  Events  occurring 
before  Christ  are  marked  "B.  C."  and  those  after,  "A.  D." — Anno 
Domini  (the  year  of  our  Lord).  This  is  a  grand  testimony  to  the 
world-wide  conviction  that  Jesus  lived. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  New  Year  in  India  is  begun  with  a  day 
set  apart  for  the  worship  of  the  gods.  Images  of  the  various  gods 
are  gathered  in  a  room  where  they  are  bathed,  decorated  with 
flowers,  and  worshiped.  Artisans,  mechanics,  farmers  and  house- 
keepers bring  their  tools  and  implements  and  worship  before  them, 
asking  their  kind  assistance  in  winning  the  battle  for  bread. 

HINDUISM.  The  Hindu  New  Year  begins  in  April,  when  Hindus 
of  all  castes  dedicate  pitchers  to  the  shades  of  their  ancestors.  The 
Hindu  commercial  year  begins  with  the  Feast  of  Dewali,  a  special 
festival,  in  which  they  worship  a  rupee  and  their  account  books. — 
B-vol.  1-132. 

BUDDHISM.  The  New  Year,  in  Burma,  begins  in  April  as  in 
India.  The  Chinese  Buddhists  have  arranged  their  calendar  to  suit 
the  Chinese  months,  the  New  Year  beginning  in  February.  Chi- 
nese do  not  reckon  their  age  from  the  date  of  birth  but  from  the 
New  Year.  Few  days,  in  any  land,  have  more  power  of  attraction 
than  the  New  Year  in  China. 

TAOISM.  New  Year's  day,  in  China,  is  a  great  national  holiday. 
All  work  ceases;  people  try  to  square  accounts  with  man  and  with 
the  temple  gods;  festivals,  fire-crackers,  social  visiting  in  gay  at- 
tire, and  exchanging  presents,  fill  the  day  with  pleasure.  Gambling 
is  very  common,  and  pilgrimages  are  made  to  the  Great  Mountain 
after  the  New  Year. 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  Chinese  New  Year  generally  falls  in 
the  middle  of  February.  The  streets  and  shops  take  on  a  gi-eat 
change.  Store  counters  are  piled  with  goods.  All  who  can,  are 
busy  paying  their  debts;  debtors  sell  things  to  clear  their  ac- 
counts, and  the  receivers  spend  the  money  as  fancy  dictates.  Every- 
one tries  to  be  at  home  on  New  Year's  day. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  Since  Mohammedanism  gained  control  of 
Persia,  it  has  exerted  a  dominant  influence  over  many  of  the  pub- 
lic observances.  The  observance  of  Mohammed's  birthday  is  so 
universal  that  it  usurps  the  observance  of  other  days;  just  as  when 
foreigners  come  to  America,  they  often  cease  to  observe  their  own 
national  holidays  and  join  in  ours,— such  as  the  Fourth  of  July. 

THE  PARSEES  reckon  time  by  the  lunar  year.  The  Nau-voz 
is  the  Persian  New  Year's  day.  The  Parsees,  however,  join  in  the 
celebrations  of  the  Mohammedans,  in  March. 

SHINTOISM.  Before  the  era  of  Christian  influence  in  Japan, 
the  mode  of  reckoning  time  was  by  the  Chinese  calendar,  the  New 
Year  beginning  in  February.  They  followed  the  moon  as  a  guide  of 
time.  Now,  the  Japanese  follow  the  Christian  calendar.  A  few 
peasants,  in  isolated  sections,  observe  the  old  method. 

MOHAMMEDANISM,  in  Persia,  observes  the  festival  of  the 
New  Year  or  Nau-voz,  which,  being  fixed  at  the  vernal  equinox, 
falls  on  a  different  date  each  succeeding  year.  The  sacred  year 
opens  with  a  season  of  mourning  for  Iman  Husian. 

55 


MARRIAGE. 

CHRISTIANITY  gives  marriage  a  place  of  honor,  and  commands 
husbands  to  love  their  wives  and  not  to  be  bitter  against  them. 
It  also  commands  that  the  wife  see  that  she  reverence  her  hus- 
band, because  they  twain  are  one  flesh,  they  are  made  in  the  image 
of  (Jod  and  their  union  symbolizes  the  union  of  Christ  and  His 
Church.— Heb.  13:4;   Col.  3:19;  Eph.  5:33;  Matt.  19:5. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  claim  favoring  child  marriage  is  that  it 
promotes  morality,  but  the  reverse  has  proven  to  be  true.  It 
has  also  produced  multitudes  of  child  widows  whose  sufferings 
have  been  intolerable.  The  marriage  ceremony  is  elaborate,  last- 
ing for  weeks,  and  is  very  expensive,  often  plunging  the  poor  parents 
into  debt  for  the  rest  of  their  lives. 

HINDUS.  Child  marriage  is  one  of  the  remaining  great  curses 
in  India.  An  unmarried  girl  over  twelve  years  of  age  is  a  disgrace  to 
herself  and  parents.  The  contract  for  marriage  is  made  by  the  par- 
ents without  the  children's  knowledge.  If  the  boy  dies,  the  girl  can- 
not remarry,  and  remains  under  the  curse  of  having  caused  her  hus- 
band's death  by  offending  the  gods  in  some  way. 

BUDDHISM.  Cautama  won  so  many  to  celibacy  that  the  people 
complained:  "Gautama  is  breaking  up  family  life."  "A  wise  man 
should  avoid  married  life  as  if  it  were  a  pit  of  burning  coal."  "Celi- 
bacy was  obligatory  on  monks  and  was  necessary  for  the  direct 
patli  to  Nirvana."  He  said  that  a  man  must  be  free,  if  he  would  gain 
supreme  perfection  in  wisdom. 

TAOISM.  IMarriage  preliminaries  are  tediously  carried  on  by  a 
"go  between"  wiio  is  often  bribed  into  deceiving  either  or  both  parties, 
who  do  not  see  each  other  until  the  wedding.  Sometimes  the  girl 
becomes  so  saddened  over  her  disappointment,  and  the  evil  treatment 
she  receives,  that  she  commits  suicide. 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  marriage  customs  of  the  Chinese  vary 
with  the  habits,  conditions  and  locality  of  the  wide  empire.  The 
failure  of  Confucianism  to  recognize  the  sanctity  of  the  marriage  bond 
is  one  of  its  great  marks  of  weakness.  The  procreation  of  sons  for 
ancestral  worsliip  is  the  chief  object  of  marriage. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  Children  in  Persia  are  betrothed  when  the 
parents  find  a  suitable  companion.  The  "fire  priest"  then  decides 
if  the  match  is  a  suitable  one  and  when  the  young  people  reach  the 
proper  age,  he  appoints  the  wedding  day. 

THE  PARSEES  have  secured  a  special  legislation  for  them- 
selves, in  India,  regulating  the  age  of  marriage  at  fourteen.  Child 
marriage  was  formerly  practiced,  but  the  growing  appreciation  of 
educated  boys  and  girls  caused  the  age  to  be  clianged. 

SHINTOiSM.  IMarriage  in  Japan,  heretofore,  has  been  loose  and 
sometimes  even  without  any  ceremony.  It  rested  u])on  the  official 
registration  of  the  couple  as  husband  and  wife,  which  was  often 
entirely  omitted.  The  new  civil  code,  which  is  a  result  of  Christian 
teaching,  tl)rows  a  safeguard  around  domestic  relationships.  Mar- 
riageable age  is  17  years  for  boys  and  15  years  for  girls. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  allows*  each  Moslem  four  legal  wives  at 
one  time  besides  concubines.  They  may  exchange  wives,  but  must 
not  marry  idolaters,  a  mother,  a  daughter,  a  sister,  or  an  aunt. 
One  may  marry  his  own  wife  after  divorcing  her,  but  after  a 
second  divorce  he  cannot  marry  her  a  third  time,  until  she  has 
married  another  man  and  been  divorced  by  him.— L-24.    P-vol.  III-310. 

5G 


POLYGAMY. 

CHRISTIANITY  does  not  permit  polygamy.  Jesus  said:  "They 
twain  shall  be  one  flesh."— Mark  10:8.  On  mission  fields  it  is  some- 
times permitted  if  the  parties  were  married  before  they  under- 
stood the  teachings  of  Christianity  on  the  subject.  This  spares  the 
later  wives  from  inevitable  lives  of  shame. 

BRAHMANISM.  There  are  "much  married"  Kulin  Brahmans 
who  sell  themselves  as  husbands  to  innumerable  wives  whose 
friends  pay  a  good  round  sum  for  the  privilege  of  having  daugh- 
ters married  to  such  exalted  connection.  The  Brahmans  are  the 
highest  caste  in  the  land. 

HINDUISM  licenses  both  polygamy  and  polyandry  and  recog- 
nizes eight  diflerent  kinds  of  marriage.  Krishna,  one  of  the  most 
popular  of  Hindu  gods,  is  said  to  have  had  15,000  wives.  Since 
Hindus  deny  their  wives  the  right  to  remarry,  the  tendency  to 
polygamy  is  doubtless  diminished.  A  second  wife  is  not  often 
taken  while  the  first  wife  is  yet  living. 

BUDDHISM.  Polygamy  among  Chinese  Buddhists  depends  upon 
their  position,  wealth  and  choice.  The  poor  usually  have  but  one 
wife  while  the  rich  may  have  more.  Some  have  concubines  who 
are  purchased  but  not  married.  The  wife  is  considered  much  in- 
ferior to  the  husband  and  has  but  little  to  do  outside  the  home. 

TAOISM  has  not  been  entirely  devoured  by  either  Confucianism 
or  Buddhism.  It  allows  its  priests  to  marry  and  its  policy  re- 
garding polygamy  is  largely  governed  by  the  tastes  of  the  indi- 
vidual. It  exercises  no  disciplinary  restrictions  as  long  as  the 
priests   receive   sufficient  "filthy   lucre." 

CONFUCIANISM  presupposes  and  tolerates  polygamy.  Ances- 
tral worship  is  a  great  source  of  polygamy  and  much  unhappiness 
in  family  life.  "A  wife  who  bears  no  son  is  a  slave,  while  a  mother 
with  grown  up  sons  is  a  monarcli."  The  second  wife  occupies  an 
inferior  place  and  may  be  but  little  better  than  a  slave,  unless  she 
has  sons  while  the  first  wife  has  none. 

ZOROASTRIANISM  furnished  a  presentably  clean  line  of  teach- 
ings for  domestic  life  and,  where  religious  liberty  has  been  granted, 
its  homes  have  been  above  those  produced  by  other  non-Christian 
religious  systems.  Plural  wives  Avere  permitted  only  in  cases  of 
barrenness. 

THE  PARSEES  in  Persia  are  sometimes  polygamists  where  they 
have  wealth  enougli.  Among  those  in  Bombay  monogamy  is  the 
rule.  Their  home  life  seems  to  be  as  happy  as  is  to  be  found 
among  any  heathen  people.  A  man  and  his  wife  may  be  seen 
walking  or  riding  side  by  side  in  Bombay,  and  enjoying  each  other's 
companionship. 

SHINTOISM  is  asleep  along  all  moral  lines.  Christianity  in 
Japan  has  disestablished  concubinage  and  through  individual  'mis- 
sionaries, the  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  and  W.  C.  T.  U.,  disorderly  houses 
have  been  decreased  and  thousands  of  inmates  set  at  liberty.  Shin- 
toism  claims  no  authority  over  the  moral  faculties  of  its  worshipers. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  boasts  that  its  svstem  of  plural  marriages 
guards  them  against  pestliouses.  This  is  disproven  bv  the  fact  that 
purity  among  young  men  and  in  the  home  is  wanting.  There  is 
a  system  of  contract  marriages  in  which  women  are  passed  along 
from  one  temporary  husband  to  another.  The  position  of  woman 
fell  through  Mohammed's  teaching.— L- 110. 

57 


DIVORCE. 

CHRISTIANITY.  Jesus  said:  'TMoses,  because  of  the  hardness 
of  your  hearts,  suffered  you  to  put  away  your  wives;  but  from 
the   beginning    it   was    not    so." — Matt.    19:8.      "Let   not    the    wife 

depart  from  her  husband and  let  not  the  husband  put  away  his 

^yife."_i  Cor.  7:10,  11.     Only  one  ground  for  divorce  is  given— for- 
nication.    Matt.  5:32. 

BRAHMANISM.  Divorce  may  be  expected  when  the  religious 
books  of  this  system  instruct  the  young  man  to  seek  a  wife  as 
follows:  "Let  him  not  marry  a  girl  with  red  hair,  who  talks  too 
much  or  has  a  barbarous  name;  but  marry  a  girl  without  defects, 
whose  walk  is  like  a  flamingo  or  elephant." — "Manu." 

HINDUS.  Even  after  marrying  a  girl  according  to  rule,  the 
husband  may  al)andon  her  if  he  finds  her  blameworthy,  sickly,  very 
corrupt  or  married  to  him  by  fraud."— "Manu."  It  is  an  easy  matter 
for  a  man  to  divorce  his  wife  when  he  believes  she  has  no  soul, 
nor  any  rights  which  he  is  bound  to  respect. 

BUDDHISTS.  "In  China,  divorce  is  everywhere  accomplished 
with  little  formality  and  upon  the  most  trivial  pretexts."  "In 
Burma,  any  man  desiring  to  be  rid  of  his  wife  has  only  to  enter  a 
monastery' for  a  month  or  more,  after  which  he  can  leave  and 
marry  another  wife." 

TAOISM  exercises  but  little  influence  on  moral  questions.  It 
allows  its  followers  to  continue  in  tlieir  own  way  and  winks  at 
the  looseness  practiced  on  all  sides  in  domestic  life.  There  can  be 
no  moral  standard  or  backbone  in  a  system  which  w^orships  demons. 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  husband's  power  of  divorce  is  limited  un- 
der seven  justifying  causes,  "barrenness,  lewdness,  jealousy,  talka- 
tiveness, thievery,  disobedience,  and  loathsome  disease."  No  man 
can  send  away  his  wife  for  any  of  these  reasons,  however,  unless  her 
parents  are  living  to  give  her  a  home. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  Divorce  was  forbidden.  The  crimes  of  for- 
nication and  adultery  were  very  severely  punished.  Tlie  fewness 
of  divorces  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  care  of  the  parents  and 
priests  in  selecting  a  companion  and  by  the  impressions  to  be  faith- 
ful which  had  been  inculcated  from  childhood. 

PARSEEISM.  Divorce  in  Persia  is  not  as  common  among  the 
Parsees  as  among  Mohammedans.  In  case  of  trouble,  the  olTended 
party  goes  to  the  priest  and  requests  divorce.  If  reasonable,  the 
ofTender  must  pay  a  sum  to  the  one  gaining  the  divorce.  In  India, 
the  Parsees  seem  quite  contented  and  divorce  is  less  common. 

SHINTOISM.  Marriage  being  only  a  civil  contract,  in  the  past, 
and  the  fact  that  the  matches  were  usually  made  by  parents,  guar- 
dians, relatives  or  friends,  without  the  parties  becoming  personally 
acquainted  with  each  other,  has  made  divorces  common  and  easy 
to  obtain. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  teaches  that  a  man  may  divorce  his  wife 
at  pleasure  twice,  but  cannot  marry  her  a  third  time  until  she  has 
married  another  man  and  been  divorced.  Tlie  husband  must  pay 
dowry  to  the  divorced  wife  according  as  he  is  able.  The  "Koran" 
everywliere  presumes  that  the  divorce  is  the  sole  prerogative  of  the 
husband.— J -253.     L-24.     P-vol.  1-371-7. 

58 


PECULIAR    CHARACTERISTICS. 

CHRISTIANITY  is  like  no  other,  because  it  is  from  heaven  and 
bears  the  likeness  of  Hira  of  whom  it  was  said:  "Never  man  spake 
like  this  man."— John  7:47.  "0  the  depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the 
M'isdom  and  knoAvledjT^e  of  God,  liow  imsearchable  are  his  judgments, 
and  his  ways  past  finding  out!" — Rom.  11:33. 

BRAHMANISM.  Some  of  its  characteristics  are:  Caste  laws;  se- 
clusion of  women;  cliild  marriage;  enforced  widowhood;  wor- 
ship of  cow;  defilement  of  touch;  making  pilgrimages;  wearing  sacred 
beads.— n-122.     q-243.     F-297-8. 

"Jesus  is  the  way:  have  you  invited  anyone  to  walk  in  it?" 

HINDUISM  also  teaches  caste  system,  zenanas,  seclusion,  child 
marriage  and  enforced  widowhood.  Brahmans  are  worshiped.  Hindus 
pray  for  the  dead;  hold  Ganges  river  sacred;  worship  cow,  and  teach 
that  "the  same  skin  wliich  belongs  to  the  cow  was  originally  on 
man."— "Satapatha  Brahmana"  3:1;   2:16.— n-120.     x-35-41. 

BUDDHISM  considers  animal  life  as  sacred.  Buddhists  wear 
beads  as  charms;  have  images  of  Buddha  only;  make  many  pil- 
grimages, and  worship  relics  of  Buddha.  Priests  are  paid  for  saying 
prayers. — F-114,  119. 

Have  you  ever  written  a  letter  to  even  one  missionary  to  cheer  him 
in  his  loneliness? 

TAOISTS  worship  demons;  make  extended  pilgrimages;  call 
their  emperor  a  god.     Priests  sell  "pills  of  immortality." 

Men  go  away  into  the  jungles  of  Africa  to  rob  the  natives  of  Ivory 
and  rubber.     They  risk  their  lives  for  gain.    Can  you  for  souls? 

CONFUCIANISM.  Worship  is  observed  on  the  first  and  fifteenth 
day  of  each  month.  Anything  from  a  pig  to  a  roll  of  silk  may  be 
offered.  Its  followers  burn  paper  prayers  to  their  ancestors.  Their 
greatest  sin  is  to  neglect  ancestral  worship. — D-90. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  Each  family  has  a  confessor  to  whom  also 
one-tenth  of  the  income  is  paid.  They  do  not  eat  food  cooked  by 
a  person  of  another  religion;  neither  do  they  blow  fire  with  the 
breath,  as  fire  is  sacred  and  the  breath  is  impure.  They  dislike 
to  blow  out  even  a  candle. — G-404. 

PARSEES  pray  before  a  lighted  fire.  They  consider  earth,  air, 
fire  and  water  sacred;  have  no  sacrifice.  Touch  defiles,  while  pray- 
ing. They  worship  toward  the  sun.  The  dead  are  not  buried,  but 
placed  for  vultures  to  devour. — n-119.     r-G2. 

SHINTOISTS  worship  the  horse.  Shintoism  degi-ades  women. 
The  symbols  of  Shinto  are  the  mirror  and  white  paper. — F-(j73-4. 

How  would  you  enjoy  their  worship  when  it  has'  no  loving  heart  re- 
sponse, such  as  Jesus  gives?  If  you  could  not  enjoy  it,  how  can  you  bear 
to  allow  them  to  do  it? 

MOHAMMEDANS  observe  prayer,  almsgiving,  fasting  and  pil- 
grimages to  ^Nlecca,  They  abhor  idols,  circumcise  children,  sacrifice 
goats,  and  shut  women  in  zenanas. — L-17,  29. 

Did  you  ever  say  :  "I  am  enjoying  myself,"  whPn,  if  yon  had  told  the 
exact  truth,   you  would  have  said  :   "I   am  enjoying  my  s^ilfishness." 

59 


DEFECTS. 

CHRISTIANITY.  All  the  defects  found  in  Cliristianity  are  in  its 
followers.  Pilate  said,  concernint^  Christ:  "I  find  no  fault  in  him." 
The  centurion  said:  "Surely  this  was  a  righteous  man."  The 
demon  said:     "I  know  thee  Avho  thou  art,  the  Holy  One  of  God." 

BRAHMANISM  is  a  cruel  system  of  religious  slavery.  It  offers 
no  Saviour,  no  love,  no  mercy,  no  grace;  only  cold,  bitter  tyranny 
both  here  and  hereafter;  pride  and  self -exaltation  rule  the'  heart. 
"A  Brahman  should  carefullv  avoid  agriculture,  which  causes  great 
pain."— "Manu"   10:82— B- vol.  1-494;   vol.  11-63. 

HINDUISM  fosters  immorality,  even  in  its  temples.  It  denies 
equal  riglits  to  men;  degrades  Momen;  has  no  Saviour,  no  hope  of 
peace  or  of  freedom  from  sin  in  this  life;  teaches  that  "the  soul, 
which  is  the  size  of  the  thumb,  dwells  in  the  middle  of  the  bodv." — 
"Upanishad"4:12— n-115,  124.  r-107-8.  s-144.  v-52-63.  A-445.  J-61, 
68. 

BUDDHISM  exalts  the  beast  above  woman.  Annihilation  is  its 
goal.  It  destroys  human  affection.  Its  followers  believe  in  trans- 
migration.—d-79-81.  s-116.  A-430,  437.  B-vol.  1-495.  D-lo4-157. 
E-54-G1.    r-120.    J-123,  127. 

If  the  interest  of  the  church  in  missions;  were  exactly  parallel  to 
yours,  would  there  be  MUCH,  little,  or  NOTHING  done? 

TAOISM  enslaves  people  to  demons.  It  is  only  a  system  of  de- 
ception and  is  so  full  of  superstition  that  people  fear  their  own 
shadows.  It  tills  people  with  fear  and  terror,  and  they  know  nothing 
of  salvation.— D-88.     r-729.     J-181. 

There    are    many    times    as    great   a    numl^er   of   Americans    in    heathen 
lands  seeking  to  make  money  as  there  are  seeking  to  save  souls. 

CONFUCIANISM  ignores  God;  exalts  self;  teaches  salvation  by 
merit;  degrades  women;  grants  the  father  tvrannical  authority 
over  his  family.— j -51.    A-441.     B-vol.  1-494.    D-75,  80-90. 

The  road  to  peace  of  heart  for  you  may  lead  to  China. 

ZOROASTRIANISM  has  no  divine  revelation,  but  uses  human 
philosophy  in  its  place.  It  is  far  astray  as  to  the  origin  of  God, 
the  devil  and  also  the  hereafter.  Salvation  is  by  inward  culture  and 
works. 

You  perhaps  enjoy  speaking  of  the  defects  of  the  heathen.  It  may  be 
your  defects   hav<'  kept  them  from  overcoming  theirs. 

PARSEEISM  has  no  Saviour;  no  idea  of  sacrifice  for  sin;  no 
doctrine  of  atonement.  Moral  culture  comes  through  following  the 
teachings  of  the  "Avestas"  and  this  is  the  extent  of  their  salvation. 
Astrology   is  i)racticed.— B-vol.  1-496.     G-392. 

SHINTOISM  knows  nothing  of  sin  or  salvation;  offers  sacrifices 
to  dead  heroes;  Morships  ancestors.  Shintoists  have  no  loving  God, 
nor  Saviour,  no  true  conception  of  sin.  Father  can  compel  daughter 
to  lead  sinful  life  to  help  him  pay  his  debts.— r-074. 

Which  is  the  greater  risk— that  you  will  lose  vour  health,  if  you  become 
a   missionary,    or,   that    tiie   heathen    will    go   into   hell? 

MOHAMMEDANISM  denies  Christ's  deity;  exalts  Mohammed  as 
a  divine  prophet;  denies  personality  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  legalizes 
murder,  lying,  etc.,  if  in  defense  of  their  religion,  also  legalizes  slavery 
and  polygamy.— s- 120.     u-375.     A-446.     D-34.     J-242,  256.     L-41. 

60 


REFORMS. 

CHRISTIANITY.  Instead  of  our  reforming  Christianity,  it  trans- 
forms us.  The  Gospel  needs  no  revising,  though  the  creeds  men 
draw  from  it  often  need  changing. 

BRAHMANISM  has  had  many  reformers.  Chunder  Sen  searched 
the  creeds  of  all  religions  and  composed  one  for  himself  using  as  a 
basis,  ''the  Fatherhood  of  God  and  the  Brotherhood  of  Man."  His 
tributes  to  Christ  are  earnest  and  generous. 

HINDUISM.  Various  reform  movements  have  arisen  in  India.  The 
Arya  Samaj  theoretically  opposes  caste,  idolatry,  child  marriage 
and  pilgrimages.  The  Brahma  Samaj  has  borrowed  from  Christian- 
ity and  instituted  reform  movements.  It  is  headed  by  very  influ- 
ential men— E-224.  The  British  government  has  put  down  widow 
burning,  throwing  children  into  the  sacred  rivers,  and  suicide  in 
religious  processions — J-59,  65. 

BUDDHISTS  have  no  desire  for  reforms.  In  Japan  they  have 
been  compelled  to  follow  the  initiative  of  the  government.  This  was 
done  without  serious  resistance,  because  the  Japanese  have  from 
time  immemorial,  followed  implicitly  the  will  of  the  state. 

TAOISM.  Any  reform  of  Taoism  means  an  entirely  new  system. 
This  is  proven  by  such  teaching  as:  "Do  not  shout  or  get  angi-y  on 
the  first  day  of  the  month.  Do  not  spit  toward  shooting  stars.  Do 
not  weep  toward  the  north.  Do  not  point  at  a  rainbow.  Do  not 
destroy  paper  which  is  written  upon.  Do  not  stare  at  the  sun  or 
moon.    Do  not  leap  over  a  well." 

CONFUCIANISM.  The  whole  empire  of  China  for  2,000  years 
has  had  its  face  turned  toward  the  past  and  its  back  to  the  future. 
The  Confucian  classics  have  contained  China's  ideals  and  the  thought 
of  their  improvement  has  never  come  to  mind.  The  reform  move- 
ments as  yet  have  not  touched  the  Confucian  classics. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  The  founder  of  this  system  was  himself  a 
reformer.  In  the  "Zend  Avestas,"  he  is  represented  as  standing  be- 
fore sacred  fire  and  in  a  speech  seeking  to  induce  his  countrymen 
to  forsake  the  worship  of  the  dervis  or  gods,  and  to  bow  only  to 
Ormazd.     He  was  very  zealous  against  idol  worship. 

THE  PARSEES  have  been  aggressive  and  quick  to  learn  new 
methods  of  business  and  have  adopted  many  western  ideas;  but  in 
religion,  they  have  tenaciously  held  to  the  old  beliefs  and  practices. 

SHINTOISM.  Education  has  exploded  many  teachings  of  Shin- 
toism,  until  its  leaders  have  voluntarily  abandoned  its  claim  to  be 
a  religion.  Ancestral  worship  is  much  modified;  sun  worship  is 
nearly  abandoned  and  it  is  now  only  a  cult,  the  chief  aim  of  which 
is  to  promulgate  the  spirit  of  patriotism  and  loyalty  to  the  em- 
peror.---J-42. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  was  "cast  in  a  mold  made  in  eternity"  and 
all  things  were  fixed  by  divine  decree,  therefore  improvement  or  de- 
velopment is  impious.  All  progressive  movements  are  made  in 
spite  of  IMohammedanism.  It  cannot  reform  without  forsaking  itself. 
Slowly  the  Moslems  are  taking  on  European  ways,  which  are  gradu- 
ally breaking  down  their  bitter  prejudice  and  paving  the  way  for 
reform.-^L- 101-182,  187. 

61 


SELF-PROPAGATION. 

CHRISTIANITY  stands  unique  and  alone  in  its  message,  motive 
and  nielliod  of  8olf-pro])agation.  Its  message  is  "free  salvation"; 
it  admits  no  partnership;  its  motive  is  love  and  its  method  is  a 
non-combative,  simple  testimony,  permeated  with  divine  wisdom 
and  power  and  leaving  the  hearer  entirely  free  to  act  as  he  chooses. 

BRAHMANISM.  A  Bralniian  appears  in  an  aboriginal  village, 
gains  confidence  of  the  poo])le  by  sanctity  and  mystic  rites,  declares 
the  village  idol  to  be  a  Brahman  god  and  teaches  forms  of  worship. 
After  this  he  divides  the  people  into  castes  and  gives  caste  laws. 

HINDUISM.  Outcast  tribes  in  India  may  be  brought  within  the 
pale  of  Hinduism  by  adopting  the  Avorship  of  the  holy  Brahman 
and  ihe  sacred  cow.  This  makes  them  eligible  to  be  granted  a  higher 
birth  in  the  next  life.  No  effort  is  made  to  get  people  of  one  caste 
to  leave  it  and  join  another. 

BUDDHISM.  Buddhism  has  been  called  the  "Oriental  banyan," 
spreading  itself  over  Asia.  There  is  no  regular,  systematic  public 
preaching.  Its  only  power  exercised  is  persuasion.  It  admits  all 
castes  and  races,  which  gives  it  universal  possibilities.  Buddha  re- 
fused the  armed  forces  of  his  kingly  disciples.  His  example  caused 
many  to  become  missionaries. 

TAOISM.  Taoism  belongs  to  China  to  which  it  has  been  con- 
fined because  the  religious"  systems  outside  were  superior  and  be- 
cause its  character  and  principles  dealt  subjectively.  Such  religions 
are  not  propagated  because  of  any  serious  soul  convictions  of  the 
worshiper.  The  priests  may,  however,  strive  to  make  it  popular  be- 
cause  of   the   foes   they   will  gain. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Confucius  was  disappointed  that  his  teachings 
were  not  more  readily  accepted  by  his  countrymen.  He  disseminated 
his  teachings  gradually  as  his  disciples  were  ready  for  them.  He 
traveled  considerably,  teaching  those  who  were  willing  to  listen, 
but  the  indift'erence  shown  him  affected  even  his  dreams.  His  teach- 
ings, however,  have  been  taught  in  the  Chinese  schools  for  centuries, 
and  are  known  as  the  Chinese  classics. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  Zoroaster,  like  his  contemporary,  Gautama, 
the  founder  of  Buddliism,  attempted  to  propagate  his  religious  views 
only  through  moral  suasion.  The  character  of  the  teachings  of  both 
these  men  was  opposite  to  the  use  of  physical  force  such  as  that 
to  which  INTohammed  resorted. 

PARSEEISM.  The  rule  of  Parsees  not  to  intermarry  with  other 
people,  and  their  exclusiveness  in  religion,  has  prevented  their 
undortaKmg  anything  like  missionary  work.  The  persecutions  they 
have  received  at  the  hands  of  Mohammedans  has  increased  their  re- 
stricted  condition. 

SHINTOISM  cannot  advance  against  the  wave  of  education  which 
is  fatally  exposing  its  defects.  Shintoists  have  not  expected  their 
religion  to  become  universal.  An  effort  was  made  to  propagate 
it  but  from  the  first  the  attempt  seemed  hopeless. — J-45. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  is  a  religion  of  conquest  by  the  sword. 
Its  cry  is:  "Fight  against  infidels  till  strife  be  at  an  end  and  the 
religion  be  all  of  Cod."  IMohammed  said:  "He  who  dies  and  has 
not  fought  for  the  religion  of  Islam  is  even  as  a  hypocrite."  Tliis 
spirit  has  developed  general  cruelty  among  the  followers  of  the 
prophet  upon  whose  life  there  rests  the  terrible  sin  of  embitter- 
ing his  fellow  men  against  even  their  own  kin. — J-255.  L-42,  Cl-02,  83. 

G2 


ATTITUDE    TOWARD    CHRISTIANITY. 

CHRISTIANITY'S  attitude  toward  itself  is  that  it  is  absolute. 
The  reason  that  Christ's  death  could  alone  meet  the  sinner's  need  is 
that  He  is  the  God-man.  Since  there  can  be  no  other  sufficient 
Saviour,  there  caa,  therefore,  be  no  other  salvation.— E-233. 

BRAHMANISM.  Almost  every  principle  of  Christianity  causes 
Brahmans  to  cordially  hate  it.  They  would  far  rather  one  of  their 
number  should  die  than  become  a  Christian.  They  sometimes  poison 
converts  and  spirit  away  those  under  conviction.— q-47 -54. 

HINDUS  seek  to  combat  Christianity  by  teaching  that  they  have 
always  had  Christ,  that  He  is  the  same  as  their  god  Vishnu.  Christ- 
tianity  opposes  caste,  enforced  widowhood,  etc.,  and  therefore  causes 
their  bitter  hatred.— n-248.    p-97,  100.    s-126.  v-60.    E-159,  199,  245. 

BUDDHISTS  in  Japan  have  strenuously  opposed  Christianity. 
The  Boxer  movement  in  China  was  accompanied  by  Buddhist  edicts 
threatening  Christianity.  Buddhists  have  imitated  Christianity  in 
order  to  hold  their  adherents.— a-48,  92.    b-136.    d-70.    D-63.    F-120-1. 

TAOISM.  Owing  to  the  intimacy  of  Taoists  with  evil  spirits,  this 
system  is  a  very  formidable  foe  to  Christianity.  The  priests  of 
this  system  were  largely  to  blame  for  the  Boxer  movement  of  1900, 
and  sometimes  led  the  mob. — j-65.    1-194-206.    D-88. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Ancestral  worship  is  a  deadly  enemy  of  Chris- 
tianity and  one  of  the  last  things  given  up  by  converted  Chinese. 
Its  fundamental  principle  of  salvation,  by  inward  culture,  makes  it 
oppose  salvation  by  grace.— A-323.    D-87-88.     G-24. 

ZOROASTRIANISM.  This  religious  system  seems  to  have  been 
borrowed  from  Judaism,  which  was  carried  to  Persia  by  captive  Jews. 
Zoroaster,  or  some  late  writer,  even  incorporated  a  promise  of  a 
coming  Messiah. 

Nothing  pays  in  heaven  like  work  done  faithfully  here  for  Jesus. 

THE  PARSEES  are  tolerant  toward  Christianity,  but  are  so  sat- 
isfied with  their  own  religious  beliefs  that  they  consider  it  fully 
equal  to  the  Bible  and  are  slow  to  become  converted.— F-575.    H-130. 

SHINTOISM  has  been  a  bitter  foe  of  Christianity.  \Vlien  it  was 
the  state  religion,  its  priests  caused  many  severe  edicts  to  be  issued 
to  help  them  to  drive  Christianity  from  the  land.— F-674. 

If  you  feel  that  money  sent  to  save  the  heathon  is  wasted,  does  it 
not  show  that  you  linow  nothing  of  the  worth  of  a  human  soul? 

MOHAMMEDANISM  is  the  bitterest  foe  among  non-Christian  re- 
ligions. To  kill  a  Christian  is  to  make  certain  the  murderer's  en- 
trance to  heaven.  The  cause  of  the  bitter  opposition  is  the  claim 
of  tlie  deity  of  Clirist.  "If  tliey  turn  back  from  the  faith,  take  them 
and  kill  them,  wherever  ye  find  them." — "Koran"  4:88.  n-118.  r-95, 
97.  u-31.  A -305.  D-18.  E-161-162.  r-484-5,  496.  G-230,  J-250. 
L-32,  34.     Q-99. 


INFLUENCE  ON  EDUCATION. 

CHRISTIAN  nations  are  tlie  best  educated  individually  and  col- 
lectively. Christianity  places  no  premium  on  i^'norance.  However, 
it  places  the  "knowledge  of  the  Trutli"  first,  and  re(iuires  that  secular 
education  shall  not  detract  from  doing  the  will  of  God. 

BRAHMANS  are  sharp,  philosophical  reasoners.  They  desire  to 
hold  the  key  of  knowledge  and  so  discourage  education  for  others. 
Their  study  is  largely  along  religious  lines.  Girls  are  seldom  taught 
to  read.— P-2G1.     F-294. 

HINDUISM.  Education  among  Hindu  children  goes  but  little  be- 
yond reading  and  writing.  It  consists  largely  of  instruction  in  re- 
ligious dogmas  and  caste  rules.  Until  recently  no  girl  was  expected 
to   receive    an   education. — q-2G0.     t-27.     v-82-88. 

BUDDHISM.  Ignorance  is  considered  bliss.  To  cease  mental  ac- 
tivity is  the  goal  of  their  ambition.  However,  in  spite  of  its  theory, 
Buddhism,  in  its  early  da^'s  of  conquest,  excited  considerable  awaken- 
ing in  primitive  education. — b-129.    f-128. 

There  are  few  more  fatal  mistakes  than  for  a  person  to  get  the  Im- 
pression he  can  think  and  plan  for  himst'lf  as  God  would. 

TAOISM.  Lao-tsze  taught  that  education  created  activity  and 
unrest  and  was  therefore  an  enemy  of  a  simple  life.  To  increase 
your  knowledge  is  to  be  an  enemy  of  your  country.  To  know^  your- 
self inside  your  doorway  is  education. — r-724. 

It  is  every  Christian's  duty  to  present  himself  at  the  Divine  registra- 
tion office  and  ask  God  to  what  life-task  he  has  assigned  him. 

CONFUCIUS  was  an  advocate  of  learning.  The  Chinese,  however, 
have  been  content  to  memorize  his  ethical  statements  and  call  it 
education.— j -50.     B-vol.  1-38.     D-78-82. 

"When  China  is  moved,  it  will  change  the  face  of  the  globe."— Napo- 
leon,  at   St.   Helena. 

ZOROASTER  seems  to  have  been  a  hearty  supporter  of  education. 
He  may  liave  lived  during  the  time  when  Persia  experienced  its 
palmy  days  of  learning. — iJ-vol.  11-14. 

You  can  never  know  the  sweetness  of  the  word  "Saviour"  as  you 
might,  if  you  could  tell  it  for  the  first  time  to  the  heathen. 

THE  PARSEES  are  careful  to  give  their  children  some  education. 
They  are  among  the  most  enlightened  people  in  India. — F-574.    H-116. 

"If  I  had  a  thousand  souls  and  thoy  were  worth  anything,  I  would 
give  them  all  to  God."— David  Brainerd. 

SHINTOISM  is  a  mass  of  myths  and  superstitions  which  are  not 
conducive  to  education.  Heroism  and  physical  powers  are  most  ad- 
mired, which  always  leaves  education  in  the  background. — F-073. 

"^^issionarios  to  a  barbarous  people  deserve  a  vote  of  thanks  from  the 
commercial    world."— Koljort   Moffat. 

MOHAMMEDANISM.  Until  the  eleventh  century,  the  Mohamme- 
dan world  was  a  leadi-r  in  education.  After  that  it  fell,  and  now 
the  chief  end  of  education  is  to  know  the  "Koran."  Real  education 
has  been  unpopular. — s-118.     L- 102-5. 

C4 


BENEFITS  OF  THE  SYSTEM. 

CHRISTIANITY  stands  in  a  class  by  itself  in  all  moral  and 
spiritual  teachings.  First,  it  gives  a  correct  picture  of  man  s  con- 
dition; second,  it  offers  man  salvation  from  that  condition;  third, 
it  keeps  him  in  the  new  condition  in  Christ.  Christianity  instructs 
public  officials,  business  men  and  servants.  It  ennobles  man,  exalts 
woman  and  blesses  children. 

BRAHMANISM  has  had  several  reformers  who  have  sought  to 
put  down  idol  worship,  promote  female  education,  abolish  infant 
marriage  and  permit  the  remarriage  of  widows.  A  Brahman  said: 
'•EngliSimen  rule  over  us  because  their  religion  produces  high  moral 
virtues  of  which  we  have  not  a  vestige." 

HINDUISM  presents  but  few  benefits  outside  of  its  reform 
movements.  The  Arya  Samaj,  which  was  a  movement  from  the  very 
center  of  Hinduism,  broke  the  confines  of  caste  and  introduced 
gome  of  the  moral  teachings  of  Christ  though  it  has  bitterly  op- 
posed Christianity.  It  is  endeavoring  to  give  life  when  it  does  not 
possess  a  spark  nor  the  power  to  generate  it.  ,         .  ,    . 

BUDDHISM  proclaims  equality  of  civil  rights  and  social  free- 
dom Women  are  free.  Education,  literature  and  art  were 
developed  in  the  earlier  monastic  schools.  War  was  condemned. 
Moral  purity  of  thought,  word  and  action  was  inculcated,  ihe 
taking  of  any  animal  life  was  forbidden.— E-49.     J-128.  _        _ 

TAOISM  "All  the  good  that  can  be  found  in  Taoism  is  like 
a  few  grains  of  gold  dust  in  heaps  of  offensive  debris."  The  nar- 
row, carnal  minds  of  Taoists  are  not  capable  of  understanding  how 
a  man  can  devote  himself  in  any  unselfish  way  for  the  service  of 
his  fellowmen.  No  religion  which  presents  false  views  ot  God 
can  present  right  views  of  living. 

CONFUCIANISM.  Ancestral  worship  has  as  it«  essence  filial 
piety,  which  has  tended  to  consolidate  and  perpetuate  the  nation. 
The  Confucian  ethics  have  had  a  higher  moral  standard  than  that 
of  many  other  non-Christian  religions.  The  purity  of  the  Chinese 
school  books  and  classic  literature  has  done  much  to  preserve  a 
wholesome  public  sentiment  in  China.— J-210. 

ZOROASTRIANISM  presented  the  cleanest  writings  and  teachings 
of  its  day  among  the  heathen.  The  high  moral  tone  of  its  teach- 
ings had  a  tendency  to  restrain  evil  and  turn  the  minds  of  people  to 
the  development  of  high  attainments.  Its  moral  standards  pre- 
pared the  mind  for  a  larger  development  than  the  surrounding 
systems  possessed.  ,      .1 

THE  PARSEES'  high  standard  of  honesty,  morality  and  other 
virtues  lias  developed  in  them  a  high  grade  of  human  kind,  yet  their 
success  has  developed  a  race  pride  which  makes  them  quite  impervious 
to  the  Gospel.  They  have  become  proud  of  their  religion  through 
comparing  it  with  the  weaker  systems  around  them. 

SHINTOISM.  Ancestral  worship  welded  families  together  and 
formed  a  basis  of  tribal  and  national  unity.  Loyalty  to  the  emperor, 
who  was  believed  to  be  of  divine  origin,  produced  patriotism  which 
added  greatly  in  cementing  the  Japanese  people  togetlier.— J-32-34-44. 
MOHAMMEDANISM  has  many  strong  teachings  in  its  Koran, 
such  as  temperance,  honesty,  hospitality,  reverence,  but  ''sadly  lacks 
the  power  of  the  divine  Holy  Spirit  (whom  it  rejects)  to  enable 
its  followers  to  perform  any  of  its  behests." 

65 


RECENT  CHANGES. 

CHRISTIANITY  evidently  liad  its  revelation  closed  durin« 
apostolic  days  and  its  Bible  lias  not  been  increased  or  diminished 
since  its  canon  was  arranged.  God  put  a  warning  at  the  close 
of  the  book  of  Revelation  for  those  who  dare  to  change  His  prophetic 
utterances.— Rev.  22:18,  19. 

BRAHMANISM.  The  educational  facilities  now  afTorded  in  India 
are  having  a  revolutionar}"  effect  upon  the  ideas  of  the  rising  genera- 
tion of  Brahmans.  Many  are  shaking  off  the  grave  clothes  of 
heathenism  and  are  looking  for  the  true  liglit.  With  many  it  means 
the  adoption  of  atheistic  views. 

HINDUISM.  Changes  in  India  come  slowly  and  against  great  op- 
position. However,  the  age  of  child  marriage  has  been  raised  from 
eight  and  ten  years  to  twelve;  the  suttee  and  human  sacrifices 
have  been  abolished;  mothers  have  ceased  to  throw  their  cliildren 
into  the  sacred  Ganges  river;  death  by  falling  under  the  wheels 
of  the  temple  cars  has  been  stopped.  Over  twenty  laws  against 
heathen  practices  have  been  enacted. 

BUDDHISTS  have  awakened  to  the  fact  that  Christianity  is  a 
poweiful,  uplifting  force  and  that  it  threatens  the  speedy  doom 
of  their  religion.  They  have  plied  their  old  trick  of  absorbing  and 
imitating  and  have  introduced  Christian  methods  in  order  to  re- 
tain their  followers. 

TAOISM.  The  worship  of  demons  will  change  slowly  and  any 
change  for  the  better  will  be  born  of  the  cunning  craftiness  whicli 
characterized  Pharaoh,  when  God  said  to  him:  "Let  my  people 
go."  Taoists  have  no  desire  for  improvement  and  must  be  forced 
to  it  before  they  awaken  to  the  inevitable. 

CONFUCIANISM.  For  a  long  time  the  three  religions  of  Giina 
waged  a  bitter  war  against  each  other.  At  last,  they  became 
united  in  a  system  known  as  "Sankaio,"  in  which  they  divided  the 
dominion  of  tliree  worlds  among  themselves:  heaven  being  as- 
signed to  Buddha,  hell  to  Taoism,  and  the  world  to  Confucius. 

ZOROASTRIANISM  was  compelled  to  undergo  certain  changes 
because  of  the  persecution  of  jNlohammedans  and  Hindus.  Under 
tins  new  form,  it  is  known  as  Parseeism  which  has  been  in  vogue 
since  the  eighth  century,  A.  D. 

PARSEEISM.  Formerly  the  priesthood  was  hereditary  and  be- 
longed to  a  certain  tribe,  as  Levi  in  Israel.  It  has,  however,  under- 
gone a  change  which  makes  it  possible  for  an  outsider  to  acquire 
this  sacred  oilice. 

SHINTOISM.  "S^Hien  Emperor  ;Mutsuhito  ascended  the  throne, 
he  granted  a  constitution,  opened  the  country  to  the  commerce  of 
the  world  and  brought  educators  from  all  lands  to  instruct  his 
subjects.  This  enlightenment  undermined  Shintoism  which,  in  1899, 
was  finally  disestablished  and  is  now  governed  by  a  secular  bureau. 
— J-35-42. 

MOHAMMEDANISM  is  experiencing  many  changes  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Gospel.  The  freedom  from  tyrannical  rule  in  Turkey 
and  Persia  is  awakening  the  jMohamniedaii  women  to  demand 
their  rights  from  their  husbands  and  from  society.  They  ask 
that  their  veils  be  done  away  with,  that  they  be  educated  and 
given  proper  marriage  rights. — L- 120- 125. 

GG 


FETICHISM. 

Fetichism  had  its  origin  in  the  common  conscious  need  of 
God,  which  abides  in  every  human  heart  and  which  has  driven 
human  beings  everywhere  to  the  god  of  their  race  or  country. 

Fetichism  is  dechired  by  some  authorities  to  be  the  lowest 
of  all  systems  of  worship.  It  originated  in  man's  trying  to  gain 
protection  from  the  unseen  forces  of  evil,  and  is  therefore  a  sal- 
vation, not  for  the  soul,  but  simply  for  the  body,  more  especially 
in  its  relation  to  danger.  It  is  not  the  evidence  of  evolution  in 
which  its  worshipers  are  seen  groping  upward  toward  God;  but  rather, 
it  is  almost  the  last  stage  of  human  degradation,  in  which  man 
gives  outward  formal  evidence  of  a  previous  knowledge  which  has 
long  ceased  to  be  an  inward  conscious  joy. 

The  fundamental  idea  of  Fetichism  is  found  in  the  amulet  or 
charm  which  through  the  witch  doctor's  sorcery  is  believed  to  have 
become  the  abode  of  a  guardian  spirit,  who  is  to  watch  over  its 
possessor's  life.  This  is  none  other  than  spirit  or  demon  worship. 
It  not  only  stands  as  a  system  of  religion  by  itself,  but  it  permeates 
many  other  systems  such  as  Hinduism  and  Taoism.  It  is  so 
closely  related  to  the  needs  of  man  that  it  practically  rules  the 
non-Christian  world.  It  watches  over  man's  sleep  and  aids  him 
in  his  work.  It  wards  off  disease  and  gives  success  in  physical 
conflicts.  It  reveals  secrets  and  gives  power  over  enemies.  There 
is  not  a  human  bodily  need  that  the  fetich  does  not  promise  to 
supply.  Even  a  wish  or  whim  can  be  gratified,  as  the  priest  has 
only  to  go  through  a  formula  of  incantations  and  then  pronounce 
the  trinket  capable  of  bringing  about  the  desire  of  tlie  applicant. 
Young  men  and  women  are  initiated  into  the  priesthood  by  an 
already  qualified  priest,  who  puts  them  through  a  course  of  train- 
ing in  his  arts. 

In  Africa,  leopard's  or  lion's  claws,  teeth  or  whiskers  are  hung 
about  the  neck  as  a  protection  from  the  attack  of  these  beasts. 
The  spine  bones  of  a  serpent  are  a  cure  for  back-ache.  Tortoise 
bones  worn  on  the  ankles  give  endurance,  while  its  jaw-bone  is 
worn  by  some  tribes  to  prevent  toothache.  Love  charms  are  used 
by  both  men  and  women  for  securing  a  husband  or  wife. 

A  fetich  doctor  acts  as  physician,  detective,  accomplice  to  an 
enemy's  death,  bestower  of  wealth  and  success,  or  anything  else 
that  may  be  desired.  His  methods  of  curing  the  sick  are  often 
worse  than  the  disease  and  occasion  much  pain  and  even  death. 
The  doctor  begins  his  incantations  with  drum  and  dance  which 
are  sometimes  kept  up  all  night,  the  patient  occasionally  being  re- 
quired to  join  in  the  ceremonies.  The  practice  of  bleeding  a  patient 
is  common,  though  very  unskillfully  done. 

It  can  quite  truthfully  be  said  of  them  that  "God  is  not  in  all 
their  thoughts."  Their  religion  is  that  of  the  fear  of  evil  spirits 
which  constantly  fills  them  with  terrible  forebodings  for  the  future. 

How  restful  Christianity  is,  especially  when  compared  with 
such  worship  of  fear.  The  Apostle  John  in  his  old  age  wrote, 
"There  is  no  fear  in  love;  but  perfect  love  castcth  out  fear:  be- 
cause fear  hath  torment.  He  tliat  fearetli  is  not  made  perfect  in 
love.     We  love  him,  because  he  first  loved  us." — 1  John  4:18,  19. 

07 


BABISM. 

Within  tlio  past  century  there  has  arisen  a  system  of  belief 
known  as  "Jiabisin,"  which  demands  our  attention.  It  was  founded 
by  .Mirza  AH  JNToliammed,  avIio  was  born  October  9,  1.S20,  at  Shiraz, 
in  the  south  of  Persia.  He  was  a  descendant  of  Mohammed  and 
belonged  to  the  Mohammedan  sect  called  Sayid.  lie  took  the 
name  Bab.  meaning  a  ''gate"  and  signifying '  that  the  "Son  of 
Truth,"  the  "Illuminated  One,"  had  come. 

In  1843,  while  living  near  Bagdad,  the  Bab  began  to  advocate 
his  doctrine.  He  had  studied  under  various  renowned  Mohammedan 
teachers,  but  he  aspired  to  found  a  new  system  of  his  own.  One 
day  he  suddenly  announced  himself  as  the  "pVomised  guide."  He  pro- 
duced 20,000  verses  in  Persian  and  Arabic  which  constitute  the 
"Beyan"  or  "Babite"  Bible.  His  first  disciple  was  converted  May  23, 
1844,  and  the  new  teaching  spread  over  Persia. 

In  1848,  the  Bab  and  his  followers  were  in  open  rebellion  against 
their  persecutors.  Horrible  cruelties  were  inflicted  upon  them,  many 
being  slowly  burned  or  sawed  to  death.  The  Babists  made  a  brave 
resistance  but  were  defeated,  and  on  July  8,  1850,  Mirza  All  Moham- 
med was  slain  at  Tabriz. 

In  1852  an  attempt  was  made  on  the  Shah's  life,  which  resulted 
in  a  fresh  inhuman  persecution  of  the  Babists.  The  boldness  and 
fervency  of  the  martyrs,  together  with  their  declarations  and  teach- 
ings caused  Babism  to  increase  in  spite  of  the  eflorts  to  suppress  it. 

The  Bab  is  declared  to  have  led  a  respectable  life.  His  teach- 
ings are  more  humane  than  those  practiced  by  the  Mohammedans. 
Di'.  Shedd  of  Urumiah,  Persia,  gives  the  following  gist  of  his 
teaching:  "There  is  a  community  of  brotherly  love,  dignity  com- 
bined with  courtesy;  leisure  with  labor;  the  cultivation  of  alf  useful 
arts  and  the  prohibition  of  all  that  are  useless;  elevation  of 
women;  general  elementary  education;  provision  for  the  poor,  strict 
prohibition  of  mendicancy  and  tramps;  children  treated  with 
gentleness;  animals  with  kindness;  no  persecution  for  conscience 
sake." 

The  Bahai  conception  of  the  supreme  being  is  not  a  personality, 
but  an  essence,  an  all-pervading  force  of  power,  frequently  referred 
to  as  love,  or  truth  or  life." 

Modern  Babism  has  as  one  of  its  great  leaders  Abbas  Effendi, 
a  resident  of  Haifa,  Palestine.  He  is  a  marvel  at  compromising. 
No  one  need  to  change  or  leave  his  church  or  sect  to  become 
a  Babist.  "It  recognizes  as  equally  divine  in  origin  with  itself, 
every  other  religion.^'  He  has  advised  Christians  that  they  do  not 
need  to  leave  their  churches,  but  that  they  may  remain  in  them  and 
teach  Babism.  The  system  is  breaking  down  Mohammedanism  and 
giving  more  freedom  to  the  people  to  learn  about  Christianity. 

Babism  has  a  few  adherents  in  the  United  States.  It  is  gain- 
ing the  same  kind  of  a  following  as  have  other  Oriental  religions 
which  have  endeavored  to  gain  a  foothold  in  America.  Their  teaeli- 
ings  are  drawn  from  Hinduism,  Pantheism,  Sufisni  and  even 
Christianity.  "The  deity  is  called  Maana,  the  meaning  or  reality 
of  all  things." 

Robert  E.  Speer  has  an  excellent  chapter  on  "The  Religion  of  the 
Bab,"  in  volume  I  of  his  work  entitled  "Missions  and  Modern  His- 
tory." Some  of  tlie  above  items  of  history  are  from  this  chapter. 
]\Ir.  Speer'a  presentation  of  the  subject  is  very  valuable. 

68 


JAINISM   OF  INDIA. 

The  Jains  stand  seventh  in  the  numerical  classification  by 
adherents  of  the  nine  religions  of  India.  Some  writers  claim  that 
Jainism  was  contemporary  with  Buddhism,  both  being  the  out- 
come of  a  simultaneous  revolt  against  Hinduism.  Otliers  say  that 
it  was  originated  about  1,000  years  ago  by  a  Buddhist  priest, 
when  a  number  of  people  broke  away  from  Buddhism. 

Jainism  possesses  characteristics  similar  to  both  Hinduism  and 
Buddhism.  Like  the  Brahmans,  the  Jains  recognize  the  distinctions 
of  caste,  worship  some  of  the  gods  of  the  Hindu  pantlieon  and 
resemble  Hindus  in  their  family  rites,  weddings,  and  funeral  cere- 
monies, their  reverence  for  the  cow,  their  fasts  and  pilgrimages. 
Like  the  Buddhists  they  carry  their  reverence  for  animal  life  to 
an  extreme.  Their  devotees  brush  their  pathAvay,  strain  their 
drinking  water  and  wear  a  cloth  over  tlieir  mouths  for  fear  they 
may  tread  upon,  swallow  or  inhale  some  living  thing.  They  are 
noted  for  their  animal  hospitals  in  which  diseased  cows  and  horses, 
cats,  dogs  and  even  insects  are  housed,  being  considered  sacred 
because  they  possess  the  principle  of  life.  "Snakes  are  not  ex- 
cluded, but  children  are  not  admitted."  Bishop  Thoburn  writes  that 
"even  vermin  are  tolerated  and  protected." 

They  reject  the  Hindu  "Vedas"  and  appeal  to  their  own  sacred 
books  called  "Agamas,"  which  were  begun  by  their  great  prophet 
Vardhamaha,  or  Mahavira,  he  being  the  twenty-fourth  of  their 
religious  teachers.  They  believe  in  the  practice  of  the  four  virtues 
of  liberality,  gentleness,  piety,  magnanimity  and  in  goodness  of 
thought,  word  and  deed.  They  worship  a  number  of  deified  saints 
whom  they  call  Jina. 

The  Jains  are  confined  to  India.  They  number  about  one  and 
one-half  million  are  found  in  upper  Hindustan,  in  the  provinces 
of  Mewar  and  Marwar;  along  the  Ganges;  the  Malabar  coast  and 
in  Calcutta.  They  call  themselves  "good  Hindus"  while  the  Hindus 
consider  them  heterodox.  Some  speak  of  them  as  degenerate  Budd- 
hists. Unlike  the  Sikhs,  they  are  comparatively  well  educated.  Al- 
most all  of  them  are  traders  and  live  in  cities.  Most  of  them  be- 
long to  the  Banya  or  Bhabra  castes.  Their  numbers  are  increas- 
ing and  they  are  divided  into  two  orders:— priests  and  laymen; 
the  former  lead  a  life  of  abstinence  and  self-denial.  Their  widows 
cannot  remarry.  There  are  certain  differences  among  the  Jains 
which  govern  their  dress  and  decorations. 

"Jainism  is  the  only  one  of  the  early  monastic  orders  which  has 
survived  to  the  present  day  in  India.  It  escaped  the  disasters 
which  overcame  Buddhism,  partly  because  its  severance  from  Budd- 
hism was  never  so  complete;  partly  because  it  never  adopted  an 
active  missionary  policy,  but  preferred  to  practice  its  peculiar  rites 
in  a  quiet,  unobtrusive  fashion. 

"The  Jain  pantheon  consists  of  a  body  of  deified  saints,  creatino- 
a  passage  through  the  circuit  of  life.  The  ascetic  members  of 
the  order  are  known  as  Jati,  who  hold  no  property  and  never  quit 
their  dwellings  except  to  beg  for  food.  Their  bodies  and  clothes 
are  filthy  and  covered  with  vermin.  The  images  of  the  saints,  are 
statues  of  black  and  white  marble  and  are  represented  as  nude,  but 
they  present  none  of  the  indecencies  which  disfigure  the  modern 
Hindu  temple.  Jains  clioose  for  their  sanctuaries  wooded  hills  sur- 
rounded by  lovely  scenery."— "Imperial  Gazateer  of  India." 

69 


SIKHISM  OF  INDIA. 

Sikhism  is  the  religion  of  a  sect  found  in  India.  It  was  begun 
by  a  man  named  Baba  Xanak,  a  Hindu  reformer,  born  near  Lahore, 
in  north  India,  (1469-1539).  He  made  a  study  of  the  Hindu  and 
Mohammedan  faiths,  but,  finding  no  satisfaction  ia  them,  he  be- 
came a  pilgrim.  Being  disappointed  also  in  this,  he  returned  home, 
declaring  that  he  had  failed  to  find  God  in  any  of  the  creeds. 
He  laid  aside  his  ascetic  habits,  and  settled  down  to  ordinary 
family  life.  He  preached  God  as  Creator,  and  salvation  by  merit. 
He  claimed  to  have  had  a  visiom  in  which  God  said  to  him, 
"Nanak,  I  am  with  thee,  and  whosoever  shall  follow  thee  stall 
be  happy  indeed."  He  awoke  uttering  the  words  which  have  be- 
come the  key  to  his  religious  system:  "In  religion,  tliere  is  no 
Hindu  and  there  is  no  Moslem."  Miracles  and  supernatural  power 
are  accredited  to  him.  He  left  a  company  of  zealous  followers 
called  ''Sikhs"  or  "Disciples"  and  had  as  successors  in  instruction 
nine  gurus  or  teachers,  the  first  of  whom  was  Angad.  Nanak 
discouraged  caste,  believed  in  the  transmigration  of  the_  soul, 
in  veneration  of  the  cow,  in  abhorrence  of  the  hog  and  in  ab- 
stinence from  all  flesh  as  food. 

The  sixth  guru,  Govind  Singh,  made  his  religion  the  basis  of 
political  power  w^hich  infused  the  military  and  political  spirit  into 
the  Sikhs.  This  has  developed  great  bravery  in  them  which  has 
caused  the  British  government  to  make  considerable  use  of  them 
as  soldiers  and  policemen.  It  was  the  Sikh  soldiers  who  first  broke 
through  to  the  rescue  of  the  imprisoned  missionaries  in  Peking. 

Tlie  Sikhs  are  not  educated,  though  they  are  superior  in  in- 
telligence to  some  of  their  neighbors.  Religiously,  they  have  de- 
generated. They  have  fallen  under  the  power  of  caste  and  many 
of  them  are  as  faithful  to  its  laws  as  are  the  Hindus.  **Low- 
caste  people  who  adopt  their  faith,  are  kept  at  a  distance  and 
excluded  from  the  higher  privileges  of  the  community."  Sikhs 
reverence  Brahmans,  worship  deities  and  practice  idolatrous  and 
superstitious  rites.  Their  sacred  book,  "Granth,"  is  kept  in  the  famous 
Golden  Temple  in  their  sacred  city  of  Amritsar.  It  lies  on  cushions 
of  silk  and  is  ever  surrounded  with  worshipers.  "One  of  the  pre- 
cepts most  strictly  enforced  by  them,  nowadays,  is  that  the  hair 
of  the  head  and  face  must  never  be  cut  and  that  smoking  is  a 
habit  to  be  avoided." 

Sikhism  is  one  of  those  movements  which  started  as  a  religious 
reform  and  ended  in  becoming  a  political  organization. 

Guru  Govind  prescribed  that  every  Sikh  should  bear  five  marks, 
known  as  the  five  ka— the  uncut  hair  (kes),  the  short  drawers 
(kachh),  the  iron  bangle  (kara),  the  steel  knife  (khanda),  the  comb 
(kangha);  that  he  sliould  abstain  from  tobacco,  and  eat  no  meat 
save  that  the  animals  decapitated  by  a  single  blow  at  the  back  of 
the  neck.  The  teaching  of  the  Gurus  in  matters  of  faith  was  little 
more  than  an  exposition  of  the  principles  of  Kabir. 

The  strength  of  Sikhism  lay  not  in  the  novelty  of  its  message, 
but  in  the  social  observances,  stimulating  patriotism  and  making 
the  followers  of  the  Guru  a  peculiar  peoi>le." 

The  Sikh  ortliodox  teachers,  who  have  tlieir  headquarters  at  Am- 
ritsar, are  opposing  the  present  departure  from  tlie  ancient  faith 
and  are  more  stringently  enforcing  the  principles  of  Granth.— "The 
Imperial  Gazateer  of  India." 

70 


N^-^^iSs^sss^S&s^ 


:J,Ei*24^.eiiiatS^^^ 


BRAHMA  VISHNU  SIVA 

THE  THREE  CHIEF  HINDU  GODS 

BRAHMA. 

■Rrnhmi  the  creator,  is  the  first  person  of  the  Hindu  triad. 
Proves  o?Monier  W^^^^^^^^  says:  "The  notion  of  Brahma  grew  out 
nf  that  of  the  Vedic  Agni,  the  god  of  fire  and  generative  heat 
Brahma  was  alo  regarded  as  the%ersonification  of  all  manifested 

reals  Bralma,  ihough  once  popular,  is  now  almost  forgotten,  being 

''■"Bishop  Tloton,'in'writing  about  tbe  Hindu  triad  of  Brahma, 
,7-  r  ."^,.1  4ivn  s4vs-  "The  sacred  triad  has  led  many  to  suppose 
S:rhrChSiau 'doctrine   of    a    trinity    is    f^-t-y    refl-t^l    ,„ 

to^Sr1-;^\«nd.ddi™.yea.^ 

divine  days  and  mg^^t^   A  day  and  ^^^^J^^^^^^^  ^^  ];,,,,„„,,  the 

equal  to  4,320,000,0UU  >™"ai  )  e  ^1^^^  consumed 

S:?Vace"3c!ioS  'tinreTwhen  he  expirL   and  everything  comes 
to  an  end." 


VISHNU. 

The  name  Vishnu  occurs  in  the  "Vodas"  as  that  of  one  of  the 
twelve   ?:Z  That   the   sun   takes    in   the    course    of    a   year.     Ho 


belongs  to  the  trimurti  or  Hindu  triad— Brahma,  Vishnu  and  Siva, 
which  are  considered  the  highest  manifestations  of  the  eternal 
essence  of  Brahma.  This  triad  places  "Brahma,  the  creator,  in  the 
center;  Vishnu,  the  preserver,  on  the  right  and  Siva,  the  destroyer 
and  recoiistructor,  on  the  left."  Vishnu  has  infused  his  essence  at 
various  times  into  animals  and  men  in  a  series  of  incarnations.  A 
strange  idea  found  among  the  Bralimans  explains  why  there  is 
such  a  mixture  of  human  weakness  and  divine  strength  in'the  stories 
of  their  gods.  "They  believe  that  these  gods  had  been  mere  mortals 
until  they  extorted  immortality  from  the  supreme  being  by  sacri- 
fics  and  austerities." 

The  Ganges,  being  a  universally  sacred  river,  is  claimed  by  all 
sects.  The  Vaishnava  claim  it  flows  from  the  feet  of  Vishnu.  The 
Sivaites  declare  it  flows  from  the  body  of  Siva,  while  others  de- 
clare it  flows   from  the  mouth  of  the  sacred  cow. 

The  *Tishnu  Dharm  Tantra"  says,  "As  without  knowledge,  fire 
burns  when  anything  touches  it,  so'^the  name  Vishnu,  even  without 
knowledge,  burns  up  all  sin,  and  the  Vaishnava  is  sure  of  heaven." 
For  this  reason  Hindus  give  their  sons  the  names  of  their  gods, 
under  the  idea  that  merit  will  be  acquired  even  when  calling  them 
for  any  purpose.  "It  matters  not  how  atrocious  a  sinner  may 
be,   if  he  paints   his  face,  breast  and   arms   with    certain   sectarial 

inarks and  if   he   die  with   the  word   Hari,  Rama   or 

Krishna  on  his  lips,"  he  is  sure  of  heaven.  One  Hindu  writer  voices 
the  conviction  of  vast  multitudes,  however,  when  he  states:  "He 
whose  heart  is  not  pure  will  not  be  clean  though  he  should  rub 
his  body  with  mud  as  much  as  would  form  a  mountain,  and  bathe 
in  the  Ganges  as  long  as  his  life  would  last." 


SIVA. 

"Siva  represents  the  earliest  and  universal  impression  of  nature 
upon  man,  the  impression  of  endless  and  pitiless  change.  He  is  the 
destroyer  and  rebuilder  of  the  various  forms  of  life;  he  has  charge 
of  the  whole  circle  of  animated  creation,  the  incessant  round  of 
birth  and  death  in  which  all  Nature  eternally  revolves.  His  at- 
tributes are  indicated  by  symbols,  emblematic' of  death  and  man's 
desire.  Less  human  and  more  mystical  than  Vishnu,  anthropomor- 
phic image-worship  has  little  place  in  his  cults.  He  needs  none 
of  the  gorgeous  ceremonial  wliich  is  provided  for  Vishnu.  A  few 
flowers  and  an  oblation  of  water,  are  all  that  his  worshiper  needs  to 
dedicate." 

"Some  of  the  sects  of  Sivaism  exhibit  asceticism  in  its  highest 
and  most  repulsive  form.  Such,  for  instance,  are  the  loathsome 
Aghoris,  eaters  of  filth  and  of  corpses;  the  Urdhvabahus,  who  ex- 
tend the  arms  over  tlie  head  until  the  muscles  wither  from  non- 
use;  the  Asasamukhins,  who  keep  tlie  neck  bent  back  looking  up 
at  the  sky;  the  Kapalikas,  who  use  a  human  skull  for  a  drinking 
cup." 

The  various  forms  which  Siva  assumes,  each  bearing  his  own 
name,  present  a  great  variety  of  cliaracters,  from  the  mountain 
god,  who  devotes  himself  to  drinking  and  dancing,  attended  by 
dwarfs,  to  the  demon  form  of  Bhairava,  who  wears  garlands  made 
of  serpents  and  a  necklace  of  skulls.  Some  of  his  forms  are  the 
most   degiading  known    in   India. 


SHRINE  OF  KWANON. 


GANESA,  THE  ELEPHANT  GOD. 


KWANON. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era  down  to  the  twelfth 
century,  Kwanon  was  known  as  a  male  deity  of  the  Buddhist  s 
relioion,  but  since  that  time,  Kwanon  has  been  considered  a  gocl- 
desf  of  mercy  and  dressed  in  female  attire.  There  is  at  iokyo, 
Japan,  an  immense  temple  erected  to  this  goddess  On  New  \ear  s 
day  the  priests  stand  on  a  raised  platform  at  the  doorway,  trom 
which  they  distribute  paper  amulets  to  the  people,  guaranteeing 
the  protection  of  Kwanon  to  all  those  who  shall  JDe  so  fortunate 
as  to  receive  one.  Inside  the  gateway  are  booths  where  idols, 
rosaries,  candles,  etc.,  are  sold  to  worshipers.  In  the  temple 
grounds  there  is  an  albino  pony  for  the  use  of  the  goddess  Kwanon. 
Each  morning  the  priests  lead  the  pony  before  the  goddess  and  ask 
her  if  she  does  not  wish  to  take  a  ride. 

Wire  screens  are  placed  before  the  idol,  on  which  scores  of 
braids  of  hair  of  men  and  women  have  been  hung  as  offerings. 
The  worshiper  sometimes  purchases  a  printed  prayer  from  tie 
priest,  puts  it  in  his  mouth,  chews  it  into  a  pulp  and  throws  the 
"spit-ball"  at  the  screen.  If  it  sticks,  he  believes  his  prayer  will 
be  heard;  if  it  falls,  he  expects  to  fail. 

GANESA. 

Ganesa  is  the  son  of  Kali,  the  wife  of  Siva.  He  is  the  elephant- 
headed  god  of  wisdom;  a  great  glutton,  fond  of  drinking  soma 
and  eating  pancakes.  Hindu  school  children  are  taught  to  wor- 
ship him.  He  is  adored  by  all  who  wish  to  gain  a  knowledge  of 
Hindu  learning.  His  images  may  be  seen  in  temples  and  schools; 
at  the  corners  of  city  streets;  and  also  under  trees  at  the  resting 
places  along  the  country  roadside.  It  is  probable  that  the  form 
of  imao-e  used  (an  elephant  head  on  a  human  body)  is  to  convey 
the  Hindu  idea  of  the  character  of  the  god,  though  it  seems  rather 
a  reflection  to  retain  the  man's  body  while  his  head  is  displaced 
with  that  of  a  beast.  His  wahan  or  chariot  on  which  he  travels 
through  space,  is  a  rat.  He  is  master  of  the  troops  of  demi-gods 
which  constitute  a  portion  of  the  retinue  of  Siva.  He  is  also  the 
god  of  obstacles  and  is  therefore  worshiped  at  the  commencement 
of  every  undertaking. 

73 


KALI  DANCING. 


KALI,  THE  GODDESS  Cr  BLOOD. 

Kali,  the  Hindu  goddess,  is  said  to  ho.  the  Avife  of  Siva.  She 
has  two  characters,  one  mild  and  the  other  fierce,  the  latter  being 
the  one  especially  worshiped.  She  is  represented  as  a  dark  woman 
with  four  arms.  In  one  hand,  she  has  a  sword;  in  another,  the  head 
of  a  giant  she  has  slain,  and  with  her  other  two  hands  she  is  en- 
couraging her  worshipers.  For  earrings,  she  has  two  dead  bodies; 
she  wears  a  necklace  of  skulls;  her  only  clothing  is  a  girdle  made 
of  dead  men's  hands  and  her  tongue  protrudes  from  her  mouth. 
Her  eyes  are  red  as  those  of  a  drunkard  and  her  breasts  are  be- 
smeared with  blood.  She  stands  with  one  foot  upon  the  breast 
and  the  other  upon  the  thigh  of  her  husband. 

Siva,  her  husband,  says  concerning  sacrifices  to  her:  "The  flesh 
of  the  antelope  and  rhinoceros  g[\e  my  beloved  delight  for  five 
hundred  years.  By  human  sacrifice,  attended  by  the  forms  laid 
down,  Devi  is  pleased  a  thousand  years.  Let  the  sacrificer  repeat 
the  word  'Kali'  twice  and  say:  'Hail,  Devi!  Goddess  of  Thunder; 
Hail,  iron-sceptered  Goddess.  Let  him  take  the  ax  in  his  hand  and 
again  invoke  the  same  by  the  Kahiiatri  text,  as  follows:  Let  the 
sacrificer  say— 'Hrang,  Hrang!  Kali,  Kali,  O  horrid-toothed  god- 
dess! eat,  cut,  destroy  all  tlie  malignant;  cut  with  the  ax;  bind, 
bind,  seize,  seize,  drink  blood!'" 

The  thugs,  who  used  to  murder  and  rob  unsuspecting  travelers, 
made  offerings  to  Kali  before  they  set  out,  and  expected  her  to 
preserve  them  from  detection.  Tho  city  of  Calcutta  is  named 
from  Kalighat,  the  shrine  of  the  goddess  Kali,  which  is  situated 
about  a  mile  from  the  city.  Tliis  slirine  draws  many  pilgrims  an- 
nually and  is  a  source  of  considerable  profit  to  its  custodians,  who 
charge  for  every  sacrifice. 

7t 


JAGGANATH  DRESSED. 

JAGGANATH. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  popular  gods  of  India,  and  his  name 
signifies  "Lord  of  the  World."  According  to  tradition,  Jagganath 
first  appeared  A.  D.  318,  and  his  long  hold  on  the  Hindus  is  ac- 
counted for  by  the  fact  that  he  is  the  god  of  the  people.  Though 
there  are  many  temples  dedicated  to  him  in  India,  the  most  im- 
portant one  is  at  Puri,  built  during  the  twelfth  century.  Tens 
of  thousands  of  devout  pilgi'ims  visit  this  temple  annually,  and 
their  gifts  to  the  priests  are  said  to  amount  to  over  $200,000.  The 
entire  temple  grounds  contain  120  temples  dedicated  to  various 
forms  of  Hindu  worship.  Tvventy-four  festivals  are  held  annually. 
The  car  festival,  which  takes  place  in  June  or  July,  is  the  chief 
event  of  the  year.  The  great  car  is  45  feet  high,  35  feet  square 
and  is  supported  on  IG  wheels,  each  7  feet  in  diameter.  When 
the  idols  are  placed  on  these  cars  for  their  annual  ride,  the  mul- 
titudes of  pilgrims  fall  on  their  knees  and  put  their  faces  in  the 
dust.  Then  there  is  a  terrific  struggle  to  get  hold  of  the  rope 
and  have  a  part  in  drawing  the  sacred  car  out  to  the  country  house 
of  the  god,  a  mile  distant.  The  wheels  sink  into  the  sand  at 
certain  places,  causing  the  journey  to  consume  days  of  strenuous 
work.  A  crowd  of  100,000  excited,  half-frenzied  pilgrims  struggling 
with  each  other  under  a  blazing  Indian  mid-summer  sun,  straining 
both  to  keep  their  places  at  the  ropes  and  also  to  drag  the  cum- 
bersome car  along,  causes  a  shocking  number  of  deaths.  Before 
the  British  government  gained  control  of  India,  it  was  the  cus- 
tom of  people  to  throw  themselves  under  the  wheels  of  this  car, 
thus  offering  themselves  to  the  god  and  receiving  the  assurance 
from  the  priests,  that  they  would  be  transported  immediately  to 
Paradise.  This  occasion  presented  a  terrible  spectacle,  with  the 
road  strewn  with  mangled  bodies  and  the  reeling  mob  half  insane, 
sweltering  and  quarreling  at  their  religious  task.  The  practice  of 
suicide  at  this  ceremony  is  now  forbidden  by  the  government  and 
is  forcibly  prevented  by  mounted  oolicemen,  who  guard  the  annual 
procession. 


KRISHNA    AND    THE   SNAKE. 
KRISHNA. 

Krishna  is,  in  some  sections,  the  most  popular  Hindu  god.  He 
was  the  eighth  incarnation  of  Vishnu.  From  infancy,  so  the 
legends  say,  his  life  was  sought,  partly  because  it  had  been  pre- 
dicted that  he  was  to  be  the  slayer  of  Kansa,  king  of  Muttra,  who 
was  a  great  enemy  of  cows  and  Brahmans.  While  a  youtli  he  is 
said  to  have,  with  his  companions,  crept  into  houses  and  stolen 
butter,  eating  some  and  throwing  the  rest  about.  One  day,  in  a 
pouting  rage,  he  broke  open  the  churning  dish  and  spilled  the 
contents  all  around,  because  he  had  not  been  awakened  from  his 
sleep  and  given  some  of  the  curds.  He  afterwards  told  a  lie  when 
asked  if  he  had  spilled  the  buttermilk.  Like  a  spoiled  child  he  re- 
fused to  eat  and  broke  the  dishes.  He  stole  the  clothing  of 
the  wives  of  the  cowherds.  He  is  said  to  have  had  eight  queens, 
sixteen  thousand  wives  and  one  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  sons. 

His  followers  are  very  immoral,  but  what  else  could  be  expected 
when  he  was  a  thief,  a  liar  and  ill-tempered  when  a  child;  and 
deeply  dyed  in  immorality  when  an  adult. 

Someone  has  said  of' the  Hindu:  "He  eats  religiously,  drinks 
religiously,  bathes  religiously,  dresses  religiously  and  sins  re- 
ligiously." Instructors  in  righteousness  are  not  to  be  found  among 
Hindu  people.  Their  sacred  books  assert  that  "both  sin  and  virtue 
are  delusions  which  proceed  from  spiritual  ignorance  alone."  Im- 
morality greatly  increased  when  the  ])rosont  race  of  gods  began  to 
be  worshiped.  Pe()i)lo  sometimes  declare  tiiat  Christians  live  sinful 
lives  as  well  as  Hindus,  but  the  case  has  nothing  ])aral]el.  Tlie  Hindu 
has  the  bold  example  of  a  sinful  god  and  tlie  i)lain  immoral  teachings 
of  his  sacred  books  to  follow,  while  the  Christian  has  a  righteous  God 
and  a  sacred  book  demanding  holiness  as  his  guide  to  life. 

Hinduism  teaches  that  "it  matters  not  how  atrocious  a  sinner 
may  be,  if  he  paints  his  face,  breast  and  arms  with  certain  caste- 
marks   and  if  he  die  with  the  word  Hari  or  Rama  or 

Krishna  on  his  lips  and  the  thought  of  him  in  his  mind,  though 
he  nuiy  have  lived  a  monster  of  inicpiity — he  is  certain  of  heaven." 
— Prof.  Wilson. 

76 


GIGANTIC  JAPANESE    IMAGE  OF  BUDDHA 


BUDDHA. 

Buddha  is  a  Sanskrit  word  meaning  "awakened,  enlightened, 
illuminated."  Its  Oriental  application  is  to  a  man  who  has  at- 
tained to  perfect  knowledge  of  the  truth;  who  by  "good  works, 
through  countless  existences,  has  at  length,  become  released  from 
the  bonds  of  existence;  and  who,  before  entering  Nirvana,  preaches 
the  truth  to  mankind  for  its  redemption." 

The  Buddha  of  history,  who  founded  the  religion  now  bearing 
his  name,  was  born  in  India  about  500  years  before  Christ.  He 
set  himself  to  correct  the  evils  of  his  day.  The  knowledge  he  pos- 
sessed, he  declared,  was  self -acquired.  'T  am  the  all -knowing.  By 
my  own  power  I  possess  knowledge.  Whom  should  I  call  my 
master?  I  have  no  teacher."  The  sliallowness  of  this  claim  is  seen 
when  the  teachings  of  Buddha  are  examined.  He  declared  the 
earth  contained  a  rock  84,000  yojimas  square  and  168,000  yojimas 
high.  The  Sinhalese  yojima  is  16  miles,  making  the  rock's  size  to 
be  1,344,000  miles  square  and  2,688,000  miles  in  height.  ''There 
are  fish  in  the  sea  1,000  yojimas  in  size."  Eclipses  are  accounted 
for  by  Rahu  covering  the  sun  or  moon  with  his  hand,  or  hiding 
them  "^ in  his  mouth.  Earthquakes  are  caused  as  follows:  "The 
great  earth  rests  on  a  world  of  water,  and  the  water  rests  pn  a 
world  ot  wind,  and  the  wind  rests  on  space.  And  at  such  times, 
mighty  winds  blow  and  by  the  moving  water  the  earth  is 
shaken.  These  are  the  first  cause  of  the  appearance  of  a  mighty 
earthquake."  If  Buddlia  was  so  far  astray  in  his  scientific  teach- 
ing concerning  material  things,  what  guarantee  is  there  that  he 
was  infallible  in  spiritual  things? 

Buddha  opposed  idol  worship.  His  followers,  however,  have 
outdone  almost  all  others  in  adoring  their  leader.  His  footprint, 
a  tooth  or  hair,  has  been  reverenced  by  millions.  His  image  has 
been  made  in  enormous  sizes,  especially  in  Japan,  Siam  and  Bui'ma. 

77 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

a.  "Japan."     Cary    *$0.35 *$0.50 

b.  "Dux  Christus."     CiilTis   *     .30 *     .50 

c.  "Tliiiifjs  Japanese."     Chamberlain *  4.00 

d.  "Sunrise  in  the  Sunrise  Kingdom."     DeForest 50 

e.  "Unbeaten  Tracks  in  Japan."    Isabella  Bird 2.50 

f.  "The  Gist  of  Japan."     Peery 1 .25 

g.  "Korea  and  Her  Neighbors."     Mrs.  Bishop 2.00 

h.      "Korea,  The  Hermit  Nation."     Griffis 2 .  50 

i.       "Korea  from  its  Capital."     Gilmore 1 .25 

j.       "Rex  Cliristus,"     Smith   *     .30 75 

k.      "Dawn  on  the  Hills  of  T'ang."    Beach 25 50 

1.       "New  China  and  Old."     Moule 1 .25 

m.     "Things  Chinese."     Ball   *  4.00 

n.      "Lux  Christi."     Mason   *     .30 *     .50 

o.      "Wrongs  of  Indian  Womanhood."     Fuller 1 .25 

p.      "Things  as  They  Are."     Carmichael *  1 .00 

q.      "jVIosaics  from  India."     Denning *  1 .25 

r.      "India :     A  Problem."     Stover 1 .25 2.00 

s.      "India  and  Christian  Opportunity,"     Beach...        .35 50 

t.      "India's  Problem,  Kri.shna  or  Christ."     Jones *  1 .50 

u.      "Arabia:     The  Cradle  of  Islam."     Zwemer 2.00 

V.      "Everyday  Life  in  India."     Kowe 1 .  50 

w.    "High  Caste  Hindu  Women."    Ramabai *     .75 

X.  "Across  India  at  the  Dawn  of  the  Twentieth   Century." 

Lucy  E.  Guinness   *  1 . 50 

y.      "Christus  Liberator."     Parsons *     .50 

z.      "Daybreak  in  the  Dark  Continent."     Naylor .  .        .35 50 

A.  "Christian  Missions  and  Social  Progress."    Dennis.    3  Vols., 

each    2 .  50 

B.  "Ten   Great   Religions."     Clark.      (Vol.    I,   Vol.   II.)    each 

2.00  and     3.50 

C.  "Handbook  of  Comparative  Religions."    Kellogg 75 

D.  "Religions  of  the  World."     Grant ■'     .40 

E.  "Hinduism  and  Cliristianity."     Robson   1 .25 

F.  "Cyclopedia  of  INIissions."     Dwight-Tupper  and  Bliss COO 

G.  "History  of  Religion."     Menzies *  1 .50 

H.     "Great'Relidons  of  the  World."     Giles,  etc *  2.00 

L       "The  Blue  Book  of  Missions."     1007 *  1 .00 

J.      "The  Religions  of  the  Mission  Field" *     .35 *     .50 

K.     "The  Evolution  of  New  China."     Brewster *  1 .25 

L.      "Islam  and  Christianity  in  the  Far  East."    Wherry *  1.25 

M.     "The  Con(pK'st  of  the  Cross  in  China."     Speicher." *  1.50 

N.     "The  Kingdom  in  India."     Chamberlain •   1 .50 

O.      "Haug's  Essays  on  the  Parsee."     West 

P.      "Commenlarv  on  the  (,)uian."     ^^'herrv.     4  Vols 

Q.      "The  MoshMiI  World."    Zwemor ! *     .35 *     .50 

R.     "Hindu  Literature."     Reed  *  1 .50 


78 


INDEX. 


Asceticism 37 

Authority,  Present  Head  of . . .   13 

Begging  Classes 35 

Belief  Concerning  Created  Uni- 
verse     15 

God  14 

Heaven 19 

Hell 20 

Inspiration 25 

Man   16 

Prayer  24 

Purgatory   21 

Resurrection 23 

Salvation    18 

Sin   17 

Transmigration   .....  22 

Benefits  of  the  System 65 

Bibliography    78 

Character  of  the  System 11 

Characteristics,  Peculiar 59 

Christianity,  Attitude  toward  63 
Countries  in  "Wliich   Observed  10 

Defects    60 

Divorce   58 

Education,  Influence  upon ....  64 

Feasts  and  Fasts 50 

Followers,  Number  of 8 

Founder,  Date  and  Place 5 

Funerals  49 

God  or  Gods  of  the  Systems . .  26 

Government,  Relation  to 12 

History  7 

Honesty 45 

Idol  Gods,  Prominent — 

Brahma    71 

Buddha   77 

Ganesa   73 

Jagganath   75 

Kali    74 

Krishna    76 

Kwanon  73 


Idol  Gods,  Proiiiinont — 

Siva    72 

Vishnu   71 

Idols   27 

Inauguration,   Founder's   Rea- 
son  for 6 

Man's  Duty  to  Man,  View  of  43 

Marriage    56 

Merit -]\Iaking 38 

Minor  Religious  Systems — 

Babism  68 

Fetichism   67 

Jainism   of  India ....   69 

Sikism  of  India 70 

Monks  and  Xuns 34 

Morality  46 

New   Year's   Day 55 

Penance   39 

Polygamy    57 

Pilgrimages    36 

Poor,  Treatment  of 47 

Priesthood,  The 32 

Prophets    33 

Recent  Changes 66 

Reforms 61 

Sacred  Animals 53 

Days  54 

Writings    29 

Sacrifices  52 

Sects 9 

Self -Propagation    62 

Sick,  Treatment  of 48 

Songs  and  Singing 51 

Sorcery    41 

Superstitions    40 

Symbols 28 

Temples  and  Shrines 30 

Worship 31 

Ancestral  42 

Women,  Place  Given  to 44 


79 


n- 


Date  Due 


7"V012  01012  9627 


